Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the fourth-largest city of the German state of

Baden-Württemberg Baden-Württemberg ( ; ), commonly shortened to BW or BaWü, is a states of Germany, German state () in Southwest Germany, east of the Rhine, which forms the southern part of Germany's western border with France. With more than 11.07 million i ...

after

Stuttgart Stuttgart (; ; Swabian German, Swabian: ; Alemannic German, Alemannic: ; Italian language, Italian: ; ) is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, largest city of the States of Germany, German state of ...

Mannheim Mannheim (; Palatine German language, Palatine German: or ), officially the University City of Mannheim (), is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, second-largest city in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, the States of Ger ...

and

Karlsruhe Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian German, South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, third-largest city of the States of Germany, German state of Baden-Württemberg, after its capital Stuttgart a ...

. Its built-up area has a population of about 355,000 (2021), while the greater Freiburg metropolitan area ("Einzugsgebiet") has about 660,000 (2018). Freiburg is located at the southwestern foothills of the

Black Forest The Black Forest ( ) is a large forested mountain range in the States of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg in southwest Germany, bounded by the Rhine Valley to the west and south and close to the borders with France and Switzerland. It is th ...

, on the

Dreisam The Dreisam (Celtic: ''*tragisamā'', "the very fast one") is a 29 km long river (48.8 km including its source river Rotbach), and a tributary of the Elz in the German state of Baden-Württemberg. The waters of the Dreisam feed the fam ...

River, a tributary of the Elz. It is Germany's southwestern- and southernmost city with a population exceeding 100,000. It lies in the

Breisgau The Breisgau () is an area in southwest Germany extending along the Rhine River and enveloping portions of the Black Forest. Part of the state of Baden-Württemberg, it centers on the city of Freiburg im Breisgau. The district of Breisgau-Hoch ...

, one of Germany's warmest regions, in the south of the

Upper Rhine Plain The Upper Rhine Plain, Rhine Rift Valley or Upper Rhine Graben ( German: ''Oberrheinische Tiefebene'', ''Oberrheinisches Tiefland'' or ''Oberrheingraben'', French: ''Vallée du Rhin'') is a major rift, about and on average , between Basel in the ...

. Its city limits reach from the

Schauinsland The Schauinsland (literally "look-into-the-country"; near Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany) is a mountain in the Black Forest with an elevation of above sea level. It is a popular destination for day trips. Due to the high amount of silver mining, ...

summit () in the Black Forest to east of the French border, while Switzerland is to the south. The city is situated in the major wine-growing region of Baden and, together with

Offenburg Offenburg (; "open borough" - coat of arms showing open gates; Low Alemmanic: ''Offäburg'') is a city in the state of Baden-Württemberg, in south-western Germany. With nearly 60,000 inhabitants (2019), it is the largest city and the administrat ...

, serves as a tourist entry-point to the scenic

. According to meteorological statistics, Freiburg held the all-time German temperature record of from 2003 to 2015. An old university town and

archiepiscopal In Christian denominations, an archbishop is a bishop of higher rank or office. In most cases, such as the Catholic Church, there are many archbishops who either have jurisdiction over an ecclesiastical province in addition to their own archdioc ...

seat, it was incorporated in the early 12th century and soon became a commercial, intellectual and ecclesiastical center for the Upper Rhine region. The

University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public university, public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1 ...

(''Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg''), founded in 1457, is one of Germany's oldest universities. Freiburg's main landmark is the

Freiburg Minster Freiburg Minster ( or ) is the cathedral of Freiburg im Breisgau, southwest Germany. The last duke of Zähringen had started the building around 1200 in romanesque style. The construction continued in 1230 in Gothic style. The minster was partly ...

(''Freiburger Münster''), which was built between c. 1200 and 1513 and has been described as "Gothic architectural masterpiece". The old town is traversed by an extensive system of runnels called Bächle ( ''small streams''), that are fed with water from the

and run on the side of almost all streets and alleys, giving the city a unique touch. Freiburg has a high

standard of living Standard of living is the level of income, comforts and services available to an individual, community or society. A contributing factor to an individual's quality of life, standard of living is generally concerned with objective metrics outsid ...

, and is known for its advanced environmental practices, which is embodied by local housing projects such as the creation of the sustainable district of Vauban. The dialect spoken in Freiburg is classified as ( Upper Rhenish)

Low Alemannic Low Alemannic German () is a branch of Alemannic German, which is part of Upper German. Its varieties are only partly intelligible to non-Alemannic speakers. Subdivisions *Lake Constance Alemannic ( de) **Northern Vorarlberg ( de) **Allgäu dia ...

, and therefore most closely related to the other dialects of

Baden Baden (; ) is a historical territory in southern Germany. In earlier times it was considered to be on both sides of the Upper Rhine, but since the Napoleonic Wars, it has been considered only East of the Rhine. History The margraves of Ba ...

north of

Markgräflerland Markgräflerland () is a region in the southwest of Germany, in the south of the States of Germany, German federal state of Baden-Württemberg, located between the Breisgau in the north and the Black Forest in the east; adjacent to west with Franc ...

and south of

, to most dialects historically spoken in

Alsace Alsace (, ; ) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in the Grand Est administrative region of northeastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine, next to Germany and Switzerland. In January 2021, it had a population of 1,9 ...

( Alsatian), and to

Basel German Basel German or (Standard German: ) is the dialect of the city of Basel, Switzerland. The dialect of Basel forms a Low Alemannic linguistic exclave in the High Alemannic region. Phonetics and phonology Consonants Aspirated plosives Base ...

History

Freiburg was founded by Konrad and Duke Berthold III of the

House of Zähringen The House of Zähringen () was a dynasty of Duchy of Swabia, Swabian nobility. The family's name derived from Zähringen Castle near Freiburg im Breisgau. The Zähringer in the 12th century used the title of Duke of Zähringen, in compensation fo ...

in 1120 as a free market town; , also Arnold, Benjamin ''German Knighthood 1050–1300'' (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985) p. 123. hence its name, which translates to "free (or independent) town". ''Frei'' means "free", and ''Burg'', like the modern English word "

borough A borough is an administrative division in various English language, English-speaking countries. In principle, the term ''borough'' designates a self-governing walled town, although in practice, official use of the term varies widely. History ...

", was used in those days for an incorporated city or town, usually one with some degree of autonomy. The German word ''Burg'' also means "a fortified town", as in

Hamburg Hamburg (, ; ), officially the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg,. is the List of cities in Germany by population, second-largest city in Germany after Berlin and List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, 7th-lar ...

. Thus, it is likely that the name of this place means a "fortified town of free citizens". This town was strategically located at a junction of trade routes between the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

and the

North Sea The North Sea lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. A sea on the European continental shelf, it connects to the Atlantic Ocean through the English Channel in the south and the Norwegian Se ...

regions, and the

Rhine The Rhine ( ) is one of the List of rivers of Europe, major rivers in Europe. The river begins in the Swiss canton of Graubünden in the southeastern Swiss Alps. It forms part of the Swiss-Liechtenstein border, then part of the Austria–Swit ...

and

Danube The Danube ( ; see also #Names and etymology, other names) is the List of rivers of Europe#Longest rivers, second-longest river in Europe, after the Volga in Russia. It flows through Central and Southeastern Europe, from the Black Forest sou ...

rivers. In 1200, Freiburg's population numbered approximately 6,000 people. At about that time, under the rule of Bertold V, the last duke of Zähringen, the town began construction of its

minster on the site of an older parish church. Begun in the Romanesque style, it was continued and completed 1513 for the most part as a Gothic edifice. In 1218, when Bertold V died, then Egino V von Urach, the count of Urach assumed the title of Freiburg's count as Egino I von Freiburg. The town council did not trust the new nobles and wrote down its established rights in a document. At the end of the thirteenth century there was a feud between the town of Freiburg and their lord, Count Egino II of Freiburg. Egino II raised taxes and sought to limit the citizens' freedom, after which the Freiburgers used catapults to destroy the count's castle atop the Schloßberg, a hill that overlooks the town. The furious count called on his brother-in-law the

Prince-Bishopric of Strasbourg The Prince-Bishopric of Strasburg (; ) was an ecclesiastical principality of the Holy Roman Empire from the 13th century until 1803. During the late 17th century, most of its territory was annexed by France; this consisted of the areas on the ...

Conrad of Lichtenberg Conrad of Lichtenberg (; ; 1240 – 1 August 1299) was a bishop of Strasbourg in the 13th century. Lichtenberg was born to a wealthy family and entered the clergy at the age of 13. He was elected Bishop of Strasbourg in 1273. He died in comba ...

, for help. The bishop responded by marching with his army to Freiburg. According to an old Freiburg legend, a butcher named Hauri stabbed the Bishop of Strasbourg to death on 29 July 1299. It was a

Pyrrhic victory A Pyrrhic victory ( ) is a victory that inflicts such a devastating toll on the victor that it is tantamount to defeat. Such a victory negates any true sense of achievement or damages long-term progress. The phrase originates from a quote from ...

, since henceforth the citizens of Freiburg had to pay an annual expiation of 300 marks in silver to the count of Freiburg until 1368. In 1366 the counts of Freiburg made another failed attempt to occupy the town during a night raid. Eventually the inhabitants were fed up with their lords, and in 1368 Freiburg purchased its independence from them. The town turned itself over to the protection of the

Habsburgs The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

, who allowed the town to retain a large measure of freedom. Most of the nobles of the city died in the

battle of Sempach The Battle of Sempach was fought on 9 July 1386, between Leopold III, Duke of Austria and the Old Swiss Confederacy. The battle was a decisive Swiss victory in which Duke Leopold and numerous Austrian nobles died. The victory helped turn the lo ...

(1386). The patrician family Schnewlin took control of the city until the guildsmen revolted. The guilds became more powerful than the patricians by 1389. The silver mines in Mount Schauinsland provided an important source of capital for Freiburg. This silver made Freiburg one of the richest cities in Europe, and in 1327 Freiburg minted its own coin, the ''Rappenpfennig''. In 1377 the cities of Freiburg,

Basel Basel ( ; ), also known as Basle ( ), ; ; ; . is a city in northwestern Switzerland on the river Rhine (at the transition from the High Rhine, High to the Upper Rhine). Basel is Switzerland's List of cities in Switzerland, third-most-populo ...

Colmar Colmar (; ; or ) is a city and commune in the Haut-Rhin department and Alsace region of north-eastern France. The third-largest commune in Alsace (after Strasbourg and Mulhouse), it is the seat of the prefecture of the Haut-Rhin department ...

, and

Breisach Breisach am Rhein (, ; formerly Alt-Breisach, , in contrast to " New Breisach"; Low Alemannic: ''Alt-Brisach''), commonly known as Breisach, is a town with approximately 16,500 inhabitants, situated along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley, in the di ...

entered into a monetary alliance known as the ''Genossenschaft des Rappenpfennigs'' (Rappenpfennig Collective). This alliance facilitated commerce among the cities and lasted until the end of the sixteenth century. There were 8,000–9,000 people living in Freiburg between the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries, and 30 churches and monasteries. At the end of the fourteenth century the veins of silver were dwindling, and by 1460 only approximately 6,000 people still lived within Freiburg's

city walls A defensive wall is a fortification usually used to protect a city, town or other settlement from potential aggressors. The walls can range from simple palisades or earthworks to extensive military fortifications such as curtain walls with to ...

. A university town, Freiburg evolved from its focus on mining to become a cultural centre for the arts and sciences. It was also a commercial center. The end of the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

and the dawn of the

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) is a Periodization, period of history and a European cultural movement covering the 15th and 16th centuries. It marked the transition from the Middle Ages to modernity and was characterized by an effort to revive and sur ...

was a time of both advances and tragedy for Freiburg. In 1457, Albrecht VI, Regent of

Further Austria Further Austria, Outer Austria or Anterior Austria (; , formerly ''die Vorlande'' (pl.)) was the collective name for the early (and later) possessions of the House of Habsburg in the former Swabian stem duchy of south-western Germany, includin ...

, established Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, one of Germany's oldest universities. In 1498, Emperor Maximilian I held a Reichstag in Freiburg. In 1520, the town ratified a set of legal reforms, widely considered the most progressive of the time. The aim was to find a balance between traditions and old

Roman Law Roman law is the law, legal system of ancient Rome, including the legal developments spanning over a thousand years of jurisprudence, from the Twelve Tables (), to the (AD 529) ordered by Eastern Roman emperor Justinian I. Roman law also den ...

. The reforms were well received, especially the sections dealing with civil process law, punishment, and the town's constitution. Freiburg from above

In 1520, Freiburg decided not to take part in the

Reformation The Reformation, also known as the Protestant Reformation or the European Reformation, was a time of major Theology, theological movement in Western Christianity in 16th-century Europe that posed a religious and political challenge to the p ...

and became an important centre for

Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

on the

Upper Rhine Upper Rhine ( ; ; kilometres 167 to 529 of the Rhine) is the section of the Rhine between the Middle Bridge, Basel, Middle Bridge in Basel, Switzerland, and the Rhine knee in Bingen am Rhein, Bingen, Germany. It is surrounded by the Upper Rhine P ...

Erasmus Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus ( ; ; 28 October c. 1466 – 12 July 1536), commonly known in English as Erasmus of Rotterdam or simply Erasmus, was a Dutch Christian humanist, Catholic priest and Catholic theology, theologian, educationalist ...

moved here after

accepted the Reformation. In 1536, a strong and persistent belief in

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

led to the town's first

witch-hunt A witch hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. Practicing evil spells or Incantation, incantations was proscribed and punishable in early human civilizations in the ...

. The need to find a scapegoat for calamities such as the

Black Plague The Black Death was a bubonic plague pandemic that occurred in Europe from 1346 to 1353. It was one of the list of epidemics, most fatal pandemics in human history; as many as people perished, perhaps 50% of Europe's 14th century population. ...

, which claimed 2,000 area residents (25% of the town's population) in 1564, led to an escalation in witch-hunting that peaked in 1599. A plaque on the old town wall marks the spot where burnings were carried out. The seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries were turbulent times for Freiburg. At the beginning of the

Thirty Years' War The Thirty Years' War, fought primarily in Central Europe between 1618 and 1648, was one of the most destructive conflicts in History of Europe, European history. An estimated 4.5 to 8 million soldiers and civilians died from battle, famine ...

in 1618, its population numbered between 10,000 to 14,000; when it ended in 1648, only 2,000 remained. In August 1644, it was the site of the

Battle of Freiburg The Battle of Freiburg, fought over three days on 3, 5, and 9 August 1644, took place during the Thirty Years' War, near Freiburg im Breisgau, now in Baden-Württemberg. A French army of 16,000, led jointly by Condé and Turenne, sought to rel ...

, said to be the bloodiest battle of the war in terms of percentage of casualties. Between 1648 and 1805, when the town was not under French occupation, it was the administrative headquarters of

, the Habsburg territories in southwest Germany. In 1805 the town, together with the

and

Ortenau The Ortenau (), originally called Mortenau, is a historic region in the present-day German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located on the right bank of the river Rhine, stretching from the Upper Rhine Plain to the foothill zone of the Black F ...

areas, became part of

. In 1828, after the

Archdiocese of Freiburg The Archdiocese of Freiburg im Breisgau (Latin ''Archidioecesis Friburgensis'') is a Latin Church diocese of the Catholic Church in Baden-Württemberg comprising the former states of Baden and Hohenzollern. The Archdiocese of Freiburg is led by a ...

was founded, Freiburg became seat of a

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

archbishop. Freiburg was heavily bombed during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. In May 1940, aircraft of the

Luftwaffe The Luftwaffe () was the aerial warfare, aerial-warfare branch of the before and during World War II. German Empire, Germany's military air arms during World War I, the of the Imperial German Army, Imperial Army and the of the Imperial Ge ...

mistakenly dropped approximately 60 bombs on Freiburg near the railway station, killing 57 people, most of them civilians and including 22 children. This was reported by the official German news agency as an attack by the Western Allies, and retaliation against them was threatened. The Freiburg police commander subsequently established that the bombs were German, but the full story was not published until many years later. On 27 November 1944, a raid by more than 300

bomber A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch aerial torpedo, torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strateg ...

s of

RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the Strategic bombing during World War II#Europe, strategic bombing of Germany in W ...

( Operation Tigerfish) destroyed a large portion of the city centre, with the notable exception of the ''Münster'', which was only lightly damaged, and houses southeast to it, . After the war, the city was rebuilt on its medieval plan. On 22 October 1940, the

Nazi Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

Gauleiter A ''Gauleiter'' () was a regional leader of the Nazi Party (NSDAP) who served as the head of a ''Administrative divisions of Nazi Germany, Gau'' or ''Reichsgau''. ''Gauleiter'' was the third-highest Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party, rank in ...

of Baden,

Robert Heinrich Wagner Robert Heinrich Wagner, born as Robert Heinrich Backfisch (13 October 1895 – 14 August 1946) was a German Nazi Party official and politician who served as ''Gauleiter'' and ''Reichsstatthalter'' of Baden, and Chief of Civil Administrati ...

, ordered the deportation of all of Baden's and 350 of Freiburg's

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

population. They were deported to Camp Gurs in the south of France, where many died. On 18 July 1942, the remaining Baden and Freiburg Jews were transferred to

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

German-occupied Poland German-occupied Poland can refer to: * General Government * Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany * Occupation of Poland (1939–1945) * Prussian Partition The Prussian Partition (), or Prussian Poland, is the former territories of the Polish� ...

, where almost all were murdered. A memorial has been created in the form of the 'footprint' in marble on the site of the city's original

synagogue A synagogue, also called a shul or a temple, is a place of worship for Jews and Samaritans. It is a place for prayer (the main sanctuary and sometimes smaller chapels) where Jews attend religious services or special ceremonies such as wed ...

, which was burned down on 9 November 1938, during the

pogrom A pogrom is a violent riot incited with the aim of Massacre, massacring or expelling an ethnic or religious group, particularly Jews. The term entered the English language from Russian to describe late 19th- and early 20th-century Anti-Jewis ...

known as ''

Kristallnacht ( ) or the Night of Broken Glass, also called the November pogrom(s) (, ), was a pogrom against Jews carried out by the Nazi Party's (SA) and (SS) paramilitary forces along with some participation from the Hitler Youth and German civilia ...

''. The memorial is a fountain and contains a bronze plaque commemorating the original building and the Jewish community which perished. The pavements of Freiburg carry memorials to individual victims, in the form of

brass plates Laban () is a figure in the First Book of Nephi, near the start of the Book of Mormon, a scripture of the Latter Day Saint movement. Although he only makes a brief appearance in the Book of Mormon, his Book of the Law of the Lord, brass plates ...

outside their former residences. There was a camp for

Sinti The Sinti (masc. sing. ''Sinto''; fem. sing. ''Sintetsa, Sinta'') are a subgroup of the Romani people. They are found mostly in Germany, France, Italy and Central Europe, numbering some 200,000 people. They were traditionally Itinerant groups i ...

and

Romani people {{Infobox ethnic group , group = Romani people , image = , image_caption = , flag = Roma flag.svg , flag_caption = Romani flag created in 1933 and accepted at the 1971 World Romani Congress , po ...

(see ''

Romani Holocaust The Romani Holocaust was the genocide of European Roma and Sinti people during World War II. Beginning in 1933, Nazi Germany systematically persecuted the European Roma, Sinti and other peoples pejoratively labeled 'Gypsy' through forcible ...

'') in the city. It was occupied by the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

on 21 April 1945, and Freiburg was soon allotted to the

French Zone of Occupation The French occupation zone in Germany (, ) was one of the Allied-occupied Germany, Allied-occupied areas in Germany after World War II. Background In the aftermath of the Second World War, Winston Churchill, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Joseph S ...

. In December 1945 Freiburg became the seat of government for the German state of

, which was merged into

in 1952. The

maintained a presence in Freiburg until 1991, when the last French Army division left the city, and left Germany. On the site of the former French Army base, a new neighborhood for 5,000 people, Vauban, began in the late 1990s as a "sustainable model district". Solar power provides electricity to many of the households in this small community.

Points of interest

Because of its scenic beauty, relatively warm and sunny climate, and easy access to the

, Freiburg is a hub for regional

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure, and the Commerce, commercial activity of providing and supporting such travel. World Tourism Organization, UN Tourism defines tourism more generally, in terms which go "beyond the common perception of tourism as ...

. In 2010, Freiburg was voted as the Academy of Urbanism's European City of the Year in recognition of the exemplary

sustainable urbanism Sustainable urbanism is both the study of cities and the practices to build them ( urbanism), that focuses on promoting their long term viability by reducing consumption, waste and harmful impacts on people and place while enhancing the overall w ...

it has implemented over the past several decades. The longest

cable car Cable car most commonly refers to the following cable transportation systems: * Aerial lift, such as aerial tramways and gondola lifts, in which the vehicle is suspended in the air from a cable ** Aerial tramway ** Chairlift ** Gondola lift *** ...

run in Germany, which is long, runs from

Günterstal The village Günterstal is the southernmost district of Freiburg im Breisgau. It is located in the so-called ''Bohrer-Tal'' area (where the craft of "Deichel-Bohrer", preindustrial wooden water pipes used for the distribution of water, took pla ...

up to a nearby mountain called ''

''. The city has an unusual system of gutters (called ''

Freiburg Bächle The Freiburg Bächle are small water-filled runnels or formalised rills in the Black Forest city of Freiburg. They are supplied with water by the Dreisam and can be seen along most streets and alleyways in the old city, being one of the city' ...

'') that run throughout its centre. These ''Bächle'', once used to provide water to fight fires and feed livestock, are constantly flowing with water diverted from the

. They were never intended to be used for sewage, and even in the Middle Ages such use could lead to harsh penalties. During the summer, the running water provides natural cooling of the air, and offers a pleasant gurgling sound. It is said that if one accidentally falls or steps into a ''Bächle'', they will marry a Freiburger, or 'Bobbele'. Friburgo Ruscelli nel Centro -- Freiburg with the city center streams

Friburgo Ruscelli nel Centro -- Freiburg with the city center streams

The ''Augustinerplatz'' is one of the central squares in the old city. Formerly the location of an Augustinian

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of Monasticism, monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in Cenobitic monasticism, communities or alone (hermits). A monastery generally includes a ...

that became the Augustiner Museum in 1921, it is now a popular social space for Freiburg's younger residents. It has a number of restaurants and bars, including the local brewery 'Feierling', which has a Biergarten. On warm summer nights, hundreds of students gather here. At the centre of the old city is the Münsterplatz or Cathedral Square, Freiburg's largest square. A farmers' market is held here every day except Sundays. This is the site of Freiburg's

Münster Münster (; ) is an independent city#Germany, independent city (''Kreisfreie Stadt'') in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is in the northern part of the state and is considered to be the cultural centre of the Westphalia region. It is also a ...

, a gothic minster

cathedral A cathedral is a church (building), church that contains the of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, Annual conferences within Methodism, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually s ...

constructed of red sandstone, built between 1200 and 1530 and noted for its towering spire. Historisches Kaufhaus Freiburg

The Historical Merchants' Hall (''Historisches Kaufhaus''), is a Late Gothic building on the south side of Freiburg's ''Münsterplatz''. Built between 1520 and 1530, it was once the center of the financial life of the region. Its façade is decorated with statues and the

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

of four

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

emperors. The ''Altes Rathaus'', or old city hall, was completed in 1559 and has a painted façade. The ''Platz der alten Synagoge'' "Old Synagogue Square" is one of the more important squares on the outskirts of the historic old city. The square was the location of a synagogue until it was destroyed on in 1938. Zum Roten Bären, the oldest hotel in Germany, is located along ''Oberlinden'' near the

Swabia Swabia ; , colloquially ''Schwabenland'' or ''Ländle''; archaic English also Suabia or Svebia is a cultural, historic and linguistic region in southwestern Germany. The name is ultimately derived from the medieval Duchy of Swabia, one of ...

n Gate. The '' Siegesdenkmal'', or victory monument, is a monument to the German victory in the

Franco-Prussian War The Franco-Prussian War or Franco-German War, often referred to in France as the War of 1870, was a conflict between the Second French Empire and the North German Confederation led by the Kingdom of Prussia. Lasting from 19 July 1870 to 28 Janua ...

in 1871. It is situated at the northern edge of the historic city center of Freiburg and was built by

Karl Friedrich Moest Karl Friedrich Moest (also Carl Friedrich Moest: 26 March 1838 - 14 August 1923) was a German sculptor. Life Moest was born in Gernsbach, a short distance to the east of Baden-Baden. He learned drawing skills, etching on copper and steel, h ...

. In everyday language of people living in Freiburg, it serves as an orientation marker or as a meeting place. To the east of the city centre, the

Schlossberg Schlossberg or Schloßberg (German for ''Castle Mountain''; usually a hill or mountain with a "castle" on it) may refer to: Places *Schlossberg (Bavaria), a part of the municipality of Stephanskirchen in Bavaria, Germany *Schloßberg (Bopfingen), a ...

hill provides extensive views over the city and surrounding region. The castle (Schloss) from which the hill takes its name was demolished in the 1740s, and only ruins remain. Schlossberg retained its importance to the city, however, and 150 years ago the city leaders opened up walks and views to make the mountain available to the public. Today, the Schlossbergbahn

funicular railway A funicular ( ) is a type of cable railway system that connects points along a railway track laid on a steep slope. The system is characterized by two counterbalanced carriages (also called cars or trains) permanently attached to opposite ends ...

connects the city centre to the hill. Other museums in the city include the Archaeology Colombischlössle Museum.

List of popular sights

* Arboretum Freiburg-Günterstal, an arboretum in the suburb of Günterstal * Freiburg Botanic Garden *

* University Library Freiburg, the newly renovated library features a modern design * The Whale House, which, in

Dario Argento Dario Argento (; born 7 September 1940) is an Italian film director, screenwriter and producer. His influential work in the horror film, horror and giallo genres during the 1970s and 1980s has led him to being referred to as the "Master of the ...

's 1977 horror film ''

Suspiria ''Suspiria'' is a 1977 Italian supernatural horror film directed by Dario Argento, who co-wrote the screenplay with Daria Nicolodi, partially based on Thomas De Quincey's 1845 essay '' Suspiria de Profundis''. The film stars Jessica Harper ...

'', served as the Dance Academy, the film's central location * Augustiner Museum * Freiburg Munster *

* Colombischlössle Archeological Museum * Green spaces *

Vauban, Freiburg Vauban () is a neighbourhood (''Stadtteil'') to the south of the town centre in Freiburg, Germany. It was built as "a sustainable model district" on the site of a former French military base named after Sébastien Le Prestre de Vauban, the 17th ce ...

, a sustainable eco-community * Cobblestone mosaics * Kybfelsen Castle

Geography

Freiburg is bordered by the Black Forest mountains Rosskopf and Bromberg to the east, Schönberg and Tuniberg to the south, with the Kaiserstuhl hill region to the west.

Climate

The

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...

classifies Freiburg's climate as temperate oceanic climate (

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (1951–2014), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author ...

: ''Cfb''; Trewartha: ''Dobk''). Thus, July and August are, along with

, the warmest within Germany. Winters are moderate but usually with some frosts at night. More year-round rain occurs here than in the Rhine plateau. The city is close to the Kaiserstuhl, a range of hills of volcanic origin located a few kilometers away, which is one of the warmest places in Germany and therefore considered as a viticultural area. The Freiburg im Breisgau weather station has recorded the following extreme values: * Highest Temperature on 13 August 2003. * Warmest Minimum on 5 July 1957. * Coldest Maximum on 2 February 1956. * Lowest Temperature on 10 February 1956. * Highest Daily Precipitation on 18 May 1994. * Wettest Month in August 1963. * Wettest Year in 1965. * Driest Year in 1953. * Earliest Snowfall: 20 October 1905. * Latest Snowfall: 28 April 1985. * Longest annual sunshine: 2,129.4 hours in 2003. * Shortest annual sunshine: 1,457.8 hours in 1980.

Government

Freiburg is known as an "eco-city". In June 1995, the Freiburg city council adopted a resolution that it would permit construction only of " low-energy buildings" on municipal land, and all new buildings must comply with certain low energy specifications. The neighbourhoods of Vauban and Rieselfeld were developed and built in the late 1990s in accordance with the principles of

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

. The city is also home to a branch of the Federal Office for Radiation Protection, as well as solar industry and research. The citizens of Freiburg are known in Germany for their love of

cycling Cycling, also known as bicycling or biking, is the activity of riding a bicycle or other types of pedal-driven human-powered vehicles such as balance bikes, unicycles, tricycles, and quadricycles. Cycling is practised around the world fo ...

and

recycling Recycling is the process of converting waste materials into new materials and objects. This concept often includes the recovery of energy from waste materials. The recyclability of a material depends on its ability to reacquire the propert ...

. Freiburg is host to a number of

international organisation ''International Organization'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that covers the entire field of international relations, international affairs. It was established in 1947 and is published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of th ...

s, in particular,

ICLEI ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability (ICLEI, originally International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives) is an international non-governmental organization that promotes sustainable development. ICLEI provides technical consult ...

– Local Governments for Sustainability,

International Solar Energy Society ' The International Solar Energy Society (ISES), founded in 1954, is a UN-accredited membership organization promoting renewable energy Renewable energy (also called green energy) is energy made from renewable resource, renewable natura ...

, and the City Mayors Foundation. Politically, it is a longtime stronghold of the

Alliance 90/The Greens Alliance 90/The Greens (, ), often simply referred to as Greens (, ), is a Green (politics), green political party in Germany. It was formed in 1993 by the merger of the Greens (formed in West Germany in 1980) and Alliance 90 (formed in East Ger ...

, who have seen consistent success since the 1990s and have been the largest party on the city council since 2004. For many years, they performed more strongly in Freiburg than any other major city: former mayor Dieter Salomon, who served from 2002 to 2018, was the first member of the Greens to hold such an office in a city of over 100,000 people.

Mayor

The current mayor of Freiburg is Martin Horn since 2018. He was previously a member of the

Social Democratic Party The name Social Democratic Party or Social Democrats has been used by many political parties in various countries around the world. Such parties are most commonly aligned to social democracy as their political ideology. Active parties Form ...

(SPD) but left before running for mayor. In the election, he was supported by the SPD and the Free Democratic Party (FDP). The most recent mayoral election was held on 22 April 2018, with a runoff held on 6 May, and the results were as follows: ! rowspan=2 colspan=2, Candidate ! rowspan=2, Party ! colspan=2, First round ! colspan=2, Second round , - ! Votes ! % ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Martin Horn , align=left,

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

(

SPD The Social Democratic Party of Germany ( , SPD ) is a social democratic political party in Germany. It is one of the major parties of contemporary Germany. Saskia Esken has been the party's leader since the 2019 leadership election together wi ...

, FDP) , 30,067 , 34.7 , 38,907 , 44.2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Dieter Salomon , align=left,

, 27,094 , 31.3 , 27,014 , 30.7 , - , bgcolor=#4D8E8A, , align=left, Monika Stein , align=left, Green Alternative Freiburg (LiSSt/Junges/UFF) , 22,726 , 26.2 , 21,237 , 24.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Anton Behringer , align=left,

, 3,244 , 3.7 , 796 , 0.9 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Stephan Wermter , align=left,

, 2,252 , 2.6 , align=center colspan=2, ''Withdrew'' , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Manfred Kröber , align=left,

(

Green Green is the color between cyan and yellow on the visible spectrum. It is evoked by light which has a dominant wavelength of roughly 495570 nm. In subtractive color systems, used in painting and color printing, it is created by a com ...

) , 1,240 , 1.4 , align=center colspan=2, ''Withdrew'' , - , colspan=3 align=left, ''Other'' , 70 , 0.1 , 45 , 0.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 86,693 ! 99.5 ! 87,999 ! 99.8 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 425 ! 0.5 ! 195 ! 0.2 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 87,118 ! 100.0 ! 88,194 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 170,793 ! 51.0 ! 170,419 ! 51.8 , - , colspan=7, Source: City of Freiburg
1st round

City council

The Freiburg 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: ! colspan=2, Party ! Votes ! % ! +/- ! Seats ! +/- , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(Grüne) , 1,204,978 , 23.8 , 2.7 , 12 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(SPD) , 635,000 , 12.5 , 0.2 , 6 , 0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 608,477 , 12.0 , 0.2 , 6 , 0 , - , bgcolor=#05636D, , align=left, Left List – Solidary City (LiSSt) , 391,672 , 7.7 , 0.8 , 4 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters Baden-Württemberg (FW) , 356,807 , 7.0 , 1.5 , 3 , 0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Alternative for Germany Alternative for Germany (, AfD, ) is a Far-right politics in Germany (1945–present), far-right,Far-right: * * * * * * * * * * * * * * Right-wing populism, right-wing populist and National conservatism, national-conservative p ...

(AfD) , 230,145 , 4.5 , 0.9 , 2 , 0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 222,286 , 4.4 , 0.6 , 2 , 0 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Volt Germany Volt Germany (, mostly known by the abbreviated name Volt) is a social-liberal pro-European, eurofederalist political party in Germany. It is the German branch of Volt Europa, a political movement that operates on a European level. Italian A ...

(Volt) , 189,969 , 3.8 , New , 2 , New , - , bgcolor=#89C832, , align=left, Green Alternative Freiburg (GAF) , 181,590 , 3.6 , 2.9 , 2 , 1 , - , bgcolor=#E17B29, , align=left, Young Freiburg (Junges) , 164,837 , 3.3 , 0.5 , 2 , 0 , - , bgcolor=#E50069, , align=left, Urban Freiburg (UFR) , 147,091 , 2.9 , 0.1 , 1 , 0 , - , bgcolor=#1E3B4E, , align=left, Culture List Freiburg (KULT) , 131,856 , 2.6 , 0.4 , 1 , 0 , - , bgcolor=#E13134, , align=left, Independent Women Freiburg (UFF) , 127,430 , 2.5 , 0.6 , 1 , 0 , - , bgcolor=#00A657, , align=left, Livable Freiburg (FL) , 119,134 , 2.4 , 2.1 , 1 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Die PARTEI (''Party for Labour, Rule of Law, Animal Protection, Promotion of Elites and Grassroots Democratic Initiative''), or Die PARTEI (''The PARTY''), is a German political party. It was founded in 2004 by the editors of the German satirical magazine ...

, 120,187 , 2.4 , 0.3 , 1 , 0 , - , , align=left, List for Participation and Inclusion (LTI) , 89,487 , 1.8 , 0.4 , 1 , 0 , - , bgcolor=#17376F, , align=left, Citizens for Freiburg (BFF) , 62,139 , 1.2 , 0.7 , 1 , 0 , - , , align=left, For Freiburg (FFR) , 38,470 , 0.8 , 0.2 , 0 , 0 , - , , align=left, SPITZ , 34,132 , 0.7 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

Anarchist Pogo Party of Germany The Anarchistic Pogo Party of Germany (German: ''Anarchistische Pogo-Partei Deutschlands'', or 'APPD') is the self-declared party of the ''Pöbel'' (mob) and " social parasites". It was created in 1981 by two punks in Hannover and took part in t ...

(APPD) , 8,788 , 0.2 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 5,064,475 ! 100.0 ! ! 48 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Invalid ballots ! 2,501 ! 2.2 , ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ballots ! 115,265 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 172,394 ! 66.9 ! 4.1 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Freiburg

Education

Freiburg is a center of academia and research, in which numerous intellectual figures and

Nobel Laureate The Nobel Prizes (, ) are awarded annually by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Swedish Academy, the Karolinska Institutet, and the Norwegian Nobel Committee to individuals and organizations who make outstanding contributions in th ...

s have lived, worked, and taught. The city houses one of the oldest and most renowned of German universities, the

Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg The University of Freiburg (colloquially ), officially the Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg (), is a public research university located in Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The university was founded in 1457 by the Habsburg ...

, as well as its medical center. Home to some of the greatest minds of the

West West is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from east and is the direction in which the Sun sets on the Earth. Etymology The word "west" is a Germanic word passed into some Romance langu ...

, including such eminent figures as

Johann Eck Johann Maier von Eck (13 November 1486 – 13 February 1543), often anglicized as John Eck, was a German Catholic theologian, scholastic, prelate, and opponent of Martin Luther. Life Johann Eck was born Johann Maier at Eck (later Egg, near M ...

Max Weber Maximilian Carl Emil Weber (; ; 21 April 186414 June 1920) was a German Sociology, sociologist, historian, jurist, and political economy, political economist who was one of the central figures in the development of sociology and the social sc ...

, Edmund Husserl, Martin Heidegger, and Friedrich Hayek, it is one of Europe's top research and teaching institutions. Freiburg also plays host to various other educational and research institutes, such as the University of Education Freiburg, Freiburg University of Education, the Protestant University for Applied Sciences Freiburg, Hochschule für Musik Freiburg, Freiburg Music Academy, the Catholic University of Applied Sciences Freiburg, the International University of Cooperative Education IUCE, three Max Planck Society, Max Planck institutes, five Fraunhofer Society, Fraunhofer institutes, and one Leibniz Association, Leibniz institute. The city is home to the Institute for the International Education of Students, IES Abroad European Union program, which allows students to study the development and activities of the European Union, EU. This is in addition to an Environmental Science and Sustainability program focused on Freiburg's famed green lifestyle and infrastructure. IES Abroad also offers a German Language and Area Studies program where visiting students get to take classes at the

. The DFG / LFA Freiburg, a French-German high school established by the 1963 Élysée Treaty, is in the city. Robert Bosch United World College, UWC Robert Bosch College is among the newest members of the United World Colleges (UWC) movement, one of its eighteen colleges around the world, having started accepting students in September 2014.

Religion

Christianity Freiburg belonged to Austria until 1805 and remained Catholic, although surrounding villages like Haslach (Freiburg), Haslach, Opfingen, Tiengen, and the surrounding land ruled by the Margrave of Baden became Protestant as a result of the Reformation. The city was part of the Diocese of Konstanz until 1821. That same year, Freiburg became an episcopal see of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Freiburg. Due to a dispute between the government of Baden and the Holy See, the Archbishop of Freiburg, archbishop officially took office in 1827. Freiburger-muenster

The borders of the archdiocese correspond with the borders of the former State of Baden, province of Baden and the former Margraviate of Hohenzollern. The cathedral, in which the bishop resides, is

. Also, part of the ecclesiastical province of Freiburg are the suffragan dioceses of Roman Catholic Diocese of Mainz, Mainz and Roman Catholic Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart, Rottenburg-Stuttgart. Until 1929, the dioceses of Roman Catholic Diocese of Limburg, Limburg and Roman Catholic Diocese of Fulda, Fulda also belonged to this ecclesiastical province. The Archbishop of Freiburg holds the title of metropolitan and the German headquarters of the link to Caritas Germany is in Freiburg. Saint George (the flag of Freiburg has the cross of George), Lambert of Maastricht and the catacomb saint, Alexander of Bergamo, Alexander, are the patron saints of Freiburg. Many works of art depicting these saints are in the Freiburg Minster, on the Minster square, just as in the museums and archives of the city, including some by Hans Baldung Grien, Hans Holbein the Younger and Gregorius Sickinger. In 1805, with the attack of Breisgau on the Grand Duchy of Baden by a Catholic ruler, many Protestants moved into the city. Since 2007, any Protestants who are not part of a 'free church' belong to the newly founded deanery of Freiburg as part of the parish of Südbaden which in itself is a part of the Landeskirche Baden. The seat of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Baden, a free Lutheran church, is situated in Freiburg. There are multiple other free Protestant churches: e.g., the Calvary Chapel or Chrischona International. An old congregation has existed in Freiburg since the late 1900s, which utilises the old monastery church of the Ursulines in the black monastery at the border of the old city center. The Catholic Church of St. Maria Schutz has been made available for Masses by Greek, Serbian, Russian and Rumanian Orthodox congregations. Judaism Jews are said to have lived in the city before 1230, but it was only after 1230 that they supposedly founded an official community in the Webergasse (a small street within the town center). The counts of Freiburg bought the lucrative Schutzjude, which means that all personal information on Jews living in Freiburg was directly sent to Konrad II and his co-reigning son Friedrich. The two issued a comprising letter promising safety and liberty to all local Jews on 12 October 1338. It lost all value shortly after, however, on 1 January 1349. Although the Plague (disease), plague had not yet broken out in the city, Jews were accused of having spread it and taken into custody. All Jews except pregnant women were burned alive on 31 January 1349. The remaining children were forced to be baptised. This pogrom left Jews very hesitant to resettle in the city. In 1401, the city council decreed a regulation banning all Jews from Freiburg (orig. Middle High German dialect: "daz dekein Jude ze Friburg niemmerme sin sol". This was officially reaffirmed by King Sigismund with a ban for life (orig. German: “Ewige Vertreibung”) in 1424. Not until 1809 were Jews again allowed permanent residence within the city. They subsequently founded a Jewish community in 1836. At the

in 1938, the synagogue, built in 1870, was set afire. Numerous shops and apartments of Jewish citizens of Freiburg were devastated and plundered by National Socialists without the intervention of police or fire department. Male, wealthy, Jewish citizens were kidnapped and taken to concentration camps (in Buchenwald and Dachau, Bavaria, Dachau) where they were subjected to forced labor or executed and their money and property stolen. On 22 October 1940, the remaining Jews of Baden and Pfalz were deported to Gurs internment camp, Camp de Gurs in southern France. One among many collecting points was Annaplatz. So-called 'Stolpersteine', tiles with names and dates on them, commemorate the victims of the prosecution of Jews during the Nazi-Era in the city's cobble. Journalist Käthe Vordtriede of the Volkswacht (Freiburg), Volkswacht even received two Stolpersteine to commemorate her life. The first one was inserted into the ground in front of the Vordtriede-Haus Freiburg in 2006 and the second one in front of the Basler Hof, the regional authorities, in spring 2013. This was also the seat of the Gestapo until 1941, where unrelenting people were cruelly interrogated, held prisoner or deported. The only solutions were flight or emigration. The Werner Vordtriede, Vordtriede family managed to escape in time.

Transport

Freiburg has a large Auto-free zone, pedestrian zone in the city centre where no motor cars are allowed. Freiburg also has an extensive public transport system, operated by the city-owned Freiburger Verkehrs AG, VAG Freiburg. The backbone of the system is the Trams in Freiburg im Breisgau, Freiburg tramway network, supplemented by feeder buses. The tram network is very popular as the low fares allow for unlimited transport in the city and surrounding area. Furthermore, any ticket for a concert, sports or other event is also valid for use on public transport. The tram network is so vast that 70% of the population live within 500m of a tram stop with a tram every 7–8 mins. Freiburg is on the main Mannheim–Karlsruhe–Basle railway, Frankfurt am Main – Basel railway line, with frequent and fast long-distance passenger services from the Freiburg Hauptbahnhof to major German and other European cities. Other railway lines run east into the

and west to

and are served by the Breisgau S-Bahn. The line to Breisach is the remaining stub of the Freiburg–Colmar railway, Freiburg–Colmar international railway, severed in 1945 when the railway bridge over the

at Breisach was destroyed, and was never replaced. The city also is served by the Bundesautobahn 5, A5 Frankfurt am Main –

motorway. Freiburg is served by EuroAirport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg in France, close to the borders of both Germany and Switzerland, south of Freiburg. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport is approximately north of Freiburg and is also served by several airlines. The nearest larger international airports include Zurich (), Stuttgart (), and Frankfurt/Main (). The nearby Freiburg Airport, Flugplatz Freiburg , a small airfield in the Messe Freiburg, Messe, Freiburg district, lacks commercial service but is used for private aviation. Car share websites such as BlaBlaCar are commonly used among Freiburg residents, since they are considered relatively safe. The investment in transport has resulted in a large increase in both cycle, pedestrian and public transport usage with projections of car journeys accounting for 29% of journey times.

Sports

The Freiburger FC won the 1907 German football championship. Afterwards, the city experienced a 115-year drought where no sports team won a national championship again. In 2022, the drought was finally ended by the Eisvögel USC Freiburg who won the 1. Damen-Basketball-Bundesliga title. Freiburg is home to football teams SC Freiburg, which plays at the SC-Stadion, Europa-Park Stadion and is represented in the 1. or 2. Bundesliga since 1978, and Freiburger FC. In 2016, SC Freiburg got promoted to the highest league for the fifth time in its club history. The club became generally known in Germany for its steady staffing policy. Achim Stocker was president of the club from 1972 until his death in 2009. Longtime coach was Volker Finke (1991–2007), to whose initiative the football school of the club goes back. In 2004, SC Freiburg celebrated its 100th anniversary. Since December 2011, the coach is Christian Streich. The women's team of SC Freiburg plays in the first Women's Bundesliga. Freiburg is represented in the first women's basketball league by the Eisvögel (Kingfisher) USC Freiburg. In the season 2005/2006, the Kingfishers took second place after the end of the second round, in the season 2006/2007 it was the fourth place. The men's team of the USC played in the 2009/10 season in the ProA (2nd Bundesliga). The Freiburg men's team played their last first-division season in 1998/1999. Currently, season 2018/19, the men's team plays in the Oberliga and the women's team in the regional league. Freiburg also has the EHC Freiburg ice hockey team, which plays at the Franz-Siegel Halle. In the season 2003/2004 the EHC Freiburg (the wolves) played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga, DEL, the highest German ice hockey league. Currently, season 2018/19, they play in the second league (DEL2). Additionally, there is the RC Freiburg Rugby union team, which competes in the 2. Rugby-Bundesliga, second Bundesliga South (Baden Württemberg). The home ground of the club, the only rugby sports field in the wider area, is located in March-Hugstetten. Then, there is the volleyball men's team of the Freiburger Turnerschaft von 1844, FT 1844 Freiburg, which plays in the second Bundesliga since 2001 and the handball women's team of the HSG Freiburg, which plays in the 3rd Women's Handball League. From 1925 to 1984, the ADAC Schauinsland Races, Schauinsland Races took place on an old logging track. The course is still used periodically for European Hill Climb Championships.

Culture

The Union for Aromanian Language and Culture, an Aromanians, Aromanian cultural organization, was founded in 1985 in Freiburg by the Aromanian professor .

Art and museums

The association Kunst in Freiburg is an association of galleries and exhibition spaces in Freiburg. They organize joint exhibition projects such as the annual art night ''nocturne''. The Biennial for Freiburg, which is organized by the association Perspektiven für Kunst in Freiburg e.V., has been taking place since 2021. Founded in 1827, the Kunstverein Freiburg is one of the oldest in Germany. In the building of the former Marienbad, the Kunstverein presents current trends and, above all, young positions in contemporary art at an international level. The Augustiner Museum presents its renowned collection of art from the Middle Ages to the Baroque as well as 19th century paintings. The former monastery church has been transformed into an impressive, modern museum building that makes a visit to the museum a real experience. The Museum of Contemporary Art is a forum for important social debates, equally committed to art and the public. Changing exhibitions reflect elementary themes of our time. From the rich collection of 20th and 21st century works, a selection of classical modernism is always on display. Colombischlössle Archeological Museum, Colombischlössle Archaeological Museum: The neo-Gothic palace houses precious finds from the Stone Age to the early Middle Ages. The Alamanni treasure chamber displays jewelry and magnificent weapons from Alamanni graves. Museum of Nature and Man: With its collections on natural history and ethnology, the museum is dedicated to the diversity and uniqueness of natural and cultural environments. It is an entertaining and educational place for the whole family. Museum of City History: Treasures from 900 years of the city's history can be seen in the late baroque house of the artist Johann Christian Wentzinger. Documentation Center for National Socialism Freiburg: Built in 1936, the former public transport office on Rotteckring will be home to the National Socialist Documentation Center by 2025, providing information about the National Socialist era in Freiburg. File:Kunstverein.jpg, Kunstverein Freiburg File:Gartenschlauch (Freiburg) 2962.jpg, ''Gartenschlauch'' by Claes Oldenburg at Eschholzpark Freiburg File:Museum für neue Kunst Freiburg 1.jpg, Museum für Neue Kunst Freiburg File:Freiburg Metzel 088.jpg, Olaf Metzel ''Doppelrolle'' at 11. Fakultät der Uni (2003) File:2023-07-22 Museumsnacht Freiburg BR 013.jpg, Museumnight at Augustinermuseum Freiburg File:Reclining Figure Henry Moore (Freiburg im Breisgau) jm53329 ji.jpg, ''Reclining Figure'' by Henry Moore

Press

''Badische Zeitung'' is the main local daily paper, covering the Black Forest region.

Twin towns – sister cities

Freiburg im Breisgau is Sister city, twinned with: * Besançon, France (1959) * Granada, Spain (1991) * Guildford, United Kingdom (1979) * Innsbruck, Austria (1963) * Isfahan, Iran (2000) * Lviv, Ukraine (1989) * Madison, Wisconsin, Madison, United States (1987) * Matsuyama, Japan (1988) * Padua, Italy (1967) * Suwon, South Korea (2015) * Tel Aviv, Israel (2015) * Wiwilí de Jinotega, Nicaragua (2015) Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's controversial comments, which included questioning the dimension of the Holocaust, have sparked discussions concerning Freiburg's relationship with Isfahan. Immediately following the comments, Freiburg mayor Salomon postponed a trip to Isfahan, but most people involved, especially those in the Alliance '90/The Greens party, were opposed to cancelling the relationship.

Symbols

The city's

is Argent a cross Gules, the St George's Cross. Saint George is the city's patron saint. The cross also appears on the city's flag, which dates from about 1368, and is identical to that of Flag of England, England, which has the same patron. The city also has a seal (emblem), seal that can be seen in a few places in the inner city. It is a stylised depiction of the façade of the ''Wasserschlössle'', a castle-like waterworks facility built into a hill that overlooks the residential district of Wiehre. The seal depicts a three-towered red castle on a white background, with green-clad trumpeters atop the two outer towers. Beneath the castle is a gold fleur-de-lis.

Notable people

Pre-18th century

* Desiderius Erasmus of Rotterdam (1466–1536), Dutch Renaissance humanist and theologian * Berthold Schwarz (c. 1310–1388), fabled Alchemy, alchemist who introduced gunpowder to Germany * Martin Waldseemüller (c.1470–1520), Renaissance cartographer

18th century

* Joseph von Auffenberg (1798–1857), playwright and poet * Aloysius Bellecius (1704–1757), Jesuit Asceticism, ascetic author * Jean-Henri Naderman (1734–1799), leading harp-maker and a music publisher * Johann Nepomuk Locherer (1773–1837), Roman Catholic priest, theologian and professor * Karl von Rotteck (1775–1840), political activist, historian, politician and political scientist * Heinrich Schreiber (1793–1872), Catholic theologian and historian, wrote about Freiburg

19th century

* Sepp Allgeier (1895–1968), cinematographer, worked with Leni Riefenstahl * Kurt Bauch (1897–1975), art historian * Walter Benjamin (1892–1940), literary critic and philosopher * Alfred Döblin (1878–1957), physician and novelist * Barney Dreyfuss (1865–1932), baseball entrepreneur, co-founder of the Major League Baseball World Series * Walter Eucken (1891–1950), economist of the Freiburg school and father of ordoliberalism * Arnold Fanck (1889–1974), film director and pioneer of the mountain film genre * Eugen Fischer (1874–1967), physician who influenced Nazi racial hygiene * Adolf Furtwangler (1853–1907), archaeologist, teacher, art historian and museum director. * Max von Gallwitz (1852–1937), general and politician * Friedrich Gempp (1873–1947), Major General, founder and first director of the Department Defence of Reichswehr * Hans F. K. Günther (1891–1968), Nazi eugenicist * Friedrich von Hayek (1899–1992), economist, philosopher, Nobel Prize laureate in economics * Martin Heidegger (1889–1976), philosopher * Edmund Husserl (1859–1938), philosopher who established the school of Phenomenology (philosophy), phenomenology * Hans Jantzen (1881–1967), art historian, specialised in Medieval art * Wilhelm Lamey (1854–1910), jurist * Felix H. Man (1893–1985), photographer, art collector and pioneer photojournalist for Picture Post * Carl Christian Mez (1866–1944), botanist * Bernhard Sigmund Schultze (1827–1919), obstetrician and gynecologist * Hans Spemann (1869–1941) Nobel prizewinning embryologist * Hermann Staudinger (1881–1965), 1953 Nobel Prize laureate in chemistry "for discoveries about macromolecular chemistry", died locally * Edith Stein (1891–1942), nun, Saint of the Catholic Church, martyred by the Nazis, Freiburg university faculty member * Bronisław Trentowski (1808–1869) – Polish philosopher, pedagogue, insurgent and Freemason * Franz Joseph Emil Fischer, Franz Fischer (1877–1947) – German chemist, discovered the Fischer–Tropsch process process with Hans Tropsch. * Otto Heinrich Warburg (1883–1970), recipient in 1931 of Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine *

(1864–1920), lawyer, political economist, and sociologist * August Weismann (1834–1914), evolutionary biologist * Joseph Wirth (1879–1956), politician (center), member of the Reichstag, chancellor, foreign minister, minister of the interior * Engelbert Zaschka (1895–1955), inventor and one of the first German helicopter pioneers

20th century

* Wolfram Aichele (1924–2016), artist * Hannah Arendt (1906–1975), political theorist * Jürgen Aschoff (1913–1998), physician, biologist and behavioral physiologist, co-founded chronobiology * Hans Bender (1907–1991), lecturer on parapsychology * Nikolaus Brender (born 1949), journalist * Johannes Boesiger (born 1962), scriptwriter and producer * Alexander Bonde (born 1975) in the Bundestag for Alliance '90/The Greens 2002 to 2011 * Borwin, Duke of Mecklenburg (born 1956), head of the House of Mecklenburg * Stephan Burger (born 1962), Roman Catholic clergyman, Archbishop of Freiburg since 2014 * Hoimar von Ditfurth (1921–1989), physician * Mohamed Dräger (born 1996), German-Tunisian professional footballer * Peter Dreher (1932-2020), painter * Martin Egel (born 1944), bass-baritone in opera and concert * Hedy Epstein (1924–2016), Holocaust refugee and political activist * Anna Ewers (born 1993), fashion model from Freiburg * Georg Gädker (born 1981), operatic baritone * Heiner Garg (born 1966), politician (FDP) * Miriam Gebhardt (born 1962), historian and writer * Svetlana Geier (1923–2010), translator * Michael Glatthaar (born 1953), medieval scholar * Katharina Grosse (born 1961), contemporary artist * Heinrich Haussler (born 1984), professional cyclist Cervelo TestTeam * Dany Heatley (born 1981), former professional ice hockey winger * Peter W. Heller (born 1957), former Deputy Mayor of Freiburg, environmental scientist and venture philanthropist * Thomas Hengelbrock (born 1958), violinist, musicologist and conductor; co-founded the Freiburger Barockorchester * Andreas Holschneider (1931–2019), music historian * Waldemar Hoven (1903–1948), Nazi physician executed for war crimes * Tobias Hug (1976–2020), a cappella singer * Marie-Laurence Jungfleisch (born 1990), high-jump athlete * Walter Kaufmann (philosopher), Walter Kaufmann (1921–1980), philosopher, translator and poet * Fritz Keller (born 1957), football administrator * Boris Kodjoe (born 1973), U.S.based model and actor * Georges Jean Franz Köhler (1946–1995), geneticist * Benjamin Lebert (born 1982), author and newspaper columnist * Joachim Löw (born 1960), coach of the Germany national football team from 2006 to 2021 * Michael Leuschner (born 1948), classical pianist and professor of piano at the Hochschule für Musik Freiburg * Hanns Ludin (1905–1947), Nazi diplomat executed for war crimes * Andreas Lutz (born 1981), media artist analyzes perception versus reality * Christoph von Marschall (born 1959), journalist * Christian Meyer (cyclist), Christian Meyer (born 1969), track cyclist and gold medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics * Michael Nehls (born 1962), medical doctor, author, and former cyclist * Herbert Niebling (1905–1966), master designer of lace knitting * Paul Pietsch (1911–2012), racing driver, journalist and publisher of ''Auto, Motor und Sport, Das Auto'' * Karl Rahner SJ (1904–1984), Jesuit priest and influential Roman Catholic theologian * Dieter Salomon (born 1960), Alliance '90/The Greens politician, Mayor of Freiburg until 2018 * Wolfgang Schäuble (1942–2023), CDU politician * Jürgen E. Schrempp (born 1944), former head of DaimlerChrysler * Angelika Schrobsdorff (1927–2016), writer and actress * Til Schweiger (born 1963), actor and director * Klaus Tschira (1940–2015), entrepreneur * Bernhard Witkop (1917–2010), organic chemist * Johannes Fechner (born 1972), politician * Joana Zimmer (born 1979), blind pop singer IMDb Database
retrieved 27 August 2018

Gallery

File:Muenster gegenlicht 1.jpg,

File:Octagonal belfrey.jpg, Inside the belfry of

File:Freiburg Landschaft vom schlossberg aus.jpg, Landscape from the Schlossberg (Freiburg), Schlossberg Tower File:Kolleggebäude I Uni.Fr.jpg,

File:Freiburg - Universitätsbibliothek Freiburg1.jpg, University Library Freiburg File:Freiburg Martinstor.jpg, Martinstor File:Freiburg Schwabentor.jpg, The Schwabentor File:Freiburg Muensterplatz Kaufhaus.jpg, Historic Merchants Hall at the Münsterplatz File:Sanierter Schlossbergturm mit Stahlstützen in Freiburg 4.jpg, Schlossberg (Freiburg), Schlossberg Tower File:Freiburg Hauptbahnhof.JPG, Freiburg Hauptbahnhof, Main railway station File:Konzerthaus Freiburg.JPG, Konzerthaus Freiburg, The concert hall File:Freiburger Stadttheater.JPG, Theater Freiburg, Stadttheater File:20120802-DSC 2665.jpg, View of Freiburg File:Luftbild Freiburg 1944.jpg, Freiburg 1944 File:Haus zum Walfisch, Freiburg im Breisgau, 1999.jpg, The Whale House File:Colombi Palace 2.jpg, Colombischlössle Archeological Museum, Colombi Palace Museum File:Fischbrunnen Freiburg.jpg, Fish Fountain File:Freiburg Eingangstor Hauptfriedhof.jpg, Main cemetery Freiburg File:1830 Augustinermuseum Neu 2.jpg, Augustiner Museum File:Écoquartier vauban freibourg1.JPG,

, a sustainable model district

Notes

References

External links

*
Freiburg Breisgau digital city tour

Freiburg Breisgau Tourism & History & Pictures

– Panoramic views and virtual tours

Augustinermuseum

Freiburg University of Education

''VAG Freiburg'' Freiburg Public Transit Authority

Webcams in Freiburg and the Black Forest

*
fudder – a popular online magazine about Freiburg
(Winner of Grimme Online Award 2007)
Freiburg's History for Pedestrians

Hotels in Freiburg

{{DEFAULTSORT:Freiburg Im Breisgau Freiburg im Breisgau, Freiburg (region) Populated places established in the 12th century Former states and territories of Baden-Württemberg Holocaust locations in Germany 1120s establishments in the Holy Roman Empire 1120 establishments in Europe Vauban fortifications Urban districts of Baden-Württemberg