Karlsruhe ( ; ; ; South Franconian: ''Kallsruh'') is the third-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 its capital

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 ...

and

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 the 22nd-largest city in the nation, with 308,436 inhabitants. It is also a former capital of Baden, a historic region named after Hohenbaden Castle in the city of

Baden-Baden Baden-Baden () is a spa town in the states of Germany, state of Baden-Württemberg, south-western Germany, at the north-western border of the Black Forest mountain range on the small river Oos (river), Oos, ten kilometres (six miles) east of the ...

. Located on the right bank of 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 ...

( Upper Rhine) near the French border, between the Mannheim-Ludwigshafen conurbation to the north and

Strasbourg Strasbourg ( , ; ; ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and largest city of the Grand Est Regions of France, region of Geography of France, eastern France, in the historic region of Alsace. It is the prefecture of the Bas-Rhin Departmen ...

to the south, Karlsruhe is Germany's legal center, being home to the Federal Constitutional Court, the Federal Court of Justice and the Public Prosecutor General. Karlsruhe was the capital of the Margraviate of Baden-Durlach ( Durlach: 1565–1718; Karlsruhe: 1718–1771), the Margraviate of Baden (1771–1803), the Electorate of Baden (1803–1806), the

Grand Duchy of Baden The Grand Duchy of Baden () was a German polity on the east bank of the Rhine. It originally existed as a sovereign state from 1806 to 1871 and later as part of the German Empire until 1918. The duchy's 12th-century origins were as a Margravia ...

(1806–1918), and the Republic of Baden (1918–1945). Its most remarkable building is Karlsruhe Palace, which was built in 1715. It contains the Baden State Museum, the large cultural, art and regional history museum of the Baden region of Baden-Württemberg. There are nine institutions of higher education in the city, most notably the

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; ) is both a German public research university in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, and a research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 when the University of Karlsruhe (), founde ...

. Karlsruhe/Baden-Baden Airport is the second-busiest airport in Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart Airport, and the 17th-busiest airport in Germany.

Geography

Karlsruhe lies completely to the east of the

, and almost completely on the Upper Rhine Plain. It contains the Turmberg in the east, and also lies on the borders of the Kraichgau leading to the Northern Black Forest. The Rhine, one of the world's most important shipping routes, forms the western limits of the city, beyond which lie the towns of Maximiliansau and Wörth am Rhein in the German state of

Rhineland-Palatinate Rhineland-Palatinate ( , ; ; ; ) is a western state of Germany. It covers and has about 4.05 million residents. It is the ninth largest and sixth most populous of the sixteen states. Mainz is the capital and largest city. Other cities are ...

. The city centre is about from the river, as measured from the Marktplatz (Market Square). Two tributaries of the Rhine, the Alb and the Pfinz, flow through the city from the Kraichgau to eventually join the Rhine. The city lies at an altitude of between , the higher figure being near the communications tower in the suburb of Grünwettersbach. Its geographical coordinates are ; the 49th parallel runs through the city centre, which puts it at the same latitude as much of the Canada–United States border and the cities of

Vancouver Vancouver is a major city in Western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the cit ...

(Canada),

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

(France),

Regensburg Regensburg (historically known in English as Ratisbon) is a city in eastern Bavaria, at the confluence of the rivers Danube, Naab and Regen (river), Regen, Danube's northernmost point. It is the capital of the Upper Palatinate subregion of the ...

(Germany), and Hulunbuir (China). Its course is marked by a stone and painted line in the ''Stadtgarten'' (municipal park). The total area of the city is , hence it is the 30th largest city in Germany measured by land area. The longest north–south distance is and in the east–west direction. Karlsruhe is part of the urban area of Karlsruhe/Pforzheim, to which certain other towns in the district of Karlsruhe, such as Bruchsal, Ettlingen, Stutensee, and Rheinstetten, as well as the city of

Pforzheim Pforzheim () is a List of cities and towns in Germany, city of over 125,000 inhabitants in the federal state of Baden-Württemberg, in the southwest of Germany. It is known for its jewelry and watch-making industry, and as such has gained the ...

, belong.

The city was planned with the palace tower (''Schloss'') at the center and 32 streets radiating out from it like the spokes of a wheel, or the ribs of a folding fan, so that one

nickname A nickname, in some circumstances also known as a sobriquet, or informally a "moniker", is an informal substitute for the proper name of a person, place, or thing, used to express affection, playfulness, contempt, or a particular character trait ...

for Karlsruhe in German is the "fan city" (''Fächerstadt''). Almost all of these streets survive to this day. Because of this city layout, in metric geometry, Karlsruhe metric refers to a measure of distance that assumes travel is only possible along radial streets and along circular avenues around the centre. The city centre is the oldest part of town and lies south of the palace in the quadrant defined by nine of the radial streets. The central part of the palace runs east–west, with two wings, each at a 45° angle, directed southeast and southwest (i.e., parallel with the streets marking the boundaries of the quadrant defining the city center). The

market square A market square (also known as a market place) is an urban square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world. A market square is an open area where market stalls are tradit ...

lies on the street running south from the palace to Ettlingen. The market square has the town hall (''Rathaus'') to the west, the main

Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

church (''Evangelische Stadtkirche'') to the east, and the tomb of Margrave Charles III William in a pyramid in the buildings, resulting in Karlsruhe being one of only three large cities in Germany where buildings are laid out in the neoclassical style. The area north of the palace is a park and forest. Originally the area to the east of the palace consisted of gardens and forests, some of which remain, but the

(founded in 1825), Wildparkstadion football stadium, and residential areas have been built there. The area west of the palace is now mostly residential. Karlsruhe 180 panorama

Climate

Karlsruhe experiences an

oceanic climate An oceanic climate, also known as a marine climate or maritime climate, is the temperate climate sub-type in Köppen climate classification, Köppen classification represented as ''Cfb'', typical of west coasts in higher middle latitudes of co ...

(

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'') and its winter climate is milder, compared to most other German cities, except for the Rhine-Ruhr area. Summers are hot with several days registering maximum temperatures between . With an average of more than 2,000 sunshine hours a year, it is also one of the sunniest cities in Germany, like the Rhine-Palatinate area. Precipitation occurs mainly during the winter, while in summer it is concentrated on single evening thunderstorms. In 2008, the weather station in Karlsruhe, which had been in operation since 1876, was closed; it was replaced by a weather station in Rheinstetten, south of Karlsruhe.

Districts

Karlsruhe is divided into 27 districts.

History

According to legend, the name ''Karlsruhe'', which translates as "Charles' repose" or "Charles' peace", was given to the new city after a hunting trip when Margrave Charles III William of Baden-Durlach woke from a dream in which he dreamt of founding his new city. A variation of this story claims that he built the new palace to find peace from his wife. Charles William founded the city on June 17, 1715, after a dispute with the citizens of his previous capital, Durlach. The founding of the city is closely linked to the construction of the

palace A palace is a large residence, often serving as a royal residence or the home for a head of state or another high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome whi ...

. Karlsruhe became the capital of Baden-Durlach, and, in 1771, of the united Baden until 1945. Built in 1822, the ''Ständehaus'' was the first parliament building in a German state. In the aftermath of the democratic revolution of 1848, a republican government was elected there. Karlsruhe was visited by

Thomas Jefferson Thomas Jefferson (, 1743July 4, 1826) was an American Founding Fathers of the United States, Founding Father and the third president of the United States from 1801 to 1809. He was the primary author of the United States Declaration of Indepe ...

during his time as the American envoy to France; when

Pierre Charles L'Enfant Pierre "Peter" Charles L'Enfant (; August 2, 1754June 14, 1825) was a French-American artist, professor, and military engineer. In 1791, L'Enfant designed the baroque-styled plan for the development of Washington, D.C., after it was designated ...

was planning the layout of Washington, D.C., Jefferson passed to him maps of 12 European towns to consult, one of which was a sketch he had made of Karlsruhe during his visit. In 1860, the first-ever international professional convention of chemists, the Karlsruhe Congress, was held in the city. In 1907 the town was site of the Hau Riot where large crowds caused disturbance during the trial of murderer Carl Hau. On Kristallnacht in 1938, the Adass Jeshurun synagogue was burned to the ground, and the city's Jews were later sent to the Dachau concentration camp, Gurs concentration camp, Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz during

the Holocaust The Holocaust (), known in Hebrew language, Hebrew as the (), was the genocide of History of the Jews in Europe, European Jews during World War II. From 1941 to 1945, Nazi Germany and Collaboration with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy ...

, with 1,421 of Karlsruhe's Jews being killed. 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 ...

, it was the location of a forced labour camp for men, and a subcamp of the Auschwitz concentration camp, whose prisoners were mainly

Poles Pole or poles may refer to: People *Poles (people), another term for Polish people, from the country of Poland * Pole (surname), including a list of people with the name * Pole (musician) (Stefan Betke, born 1967), German electronic music artist ...

and

Russians Russians ( ) are an East Slavs, East Slavic ethnic group native to Eastern Europe. Their mother tongue is Russian language, Russian, the most spoken Slavic languages, Slavic language. The majority of Russians adhere to Eastern Orthodox Church ...

. Much of the central area, including the palace, was reduced to rubble by Allied bombing during World War II, but was rebuilt after the war. Located in the American zone of the postwar Allied occupation, Karlsruhe was home to an American military base, established in 1945. After the war, the city was part of

West Germany West Germany was the common English name for the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) from its formation on 23 May 1949 until German reunification, its reunification with East Germany on 3 October 1990. It is sometimes known as the Bonn Republi ...

until 1990. In 1995, the bases closed, and their facilities were turned over to the city of Karlsruhe.

Population

Karlsruhe has a population of about 310,000 and is the 3rd largest city in

. Karlsruhe, which was founded by Charles III William, became a major city in the 19th century. In the 1950s, Karlsruhe became a significant city where the population started to grow. It gained a large student population due to the university of technology and media arts. Karlsruhe reached populations of 200,000 in 1950 and 300,000 in 2014.

Main sights

The ''Stadtgarten'' is a recreational area near the main railway station (''Hauptbahnhof'') and was rebuilt for the 1967 Federal Garden Show (''Bundesgartenschau''). It is also the site of the Karlsruhe Zoo. The '' Durlacher Turmberg'' has a lookout tower (hence its name). It is a former keep dating back to the 13th century. The city has two botanical gardens: the municipal '' Botanischer Garten Karlsruhe'', which forms part of the Palace complex, and the '' Botanischer Garten der Universität Karlsruhe'', which is maintained by the university. The ''Marktplatz'' has a stone pyramid marking the grave of the city's founder. Built in 1825, it is the emblem of Karlsruhe. The city is nicknamed the "fan city" (''die Fächerstadt'') because of its design layout, with straight streets radiating fan-like from the Palace. The Karlsruhe Palace (''Schloss'') is an interesting piece of architecture; the adjacent '' Schlossgarten'' includes the Botanical Garden with a palm, cactus and orchid house, and walking paths through the woods to the north. The so-called ''Kleine Kirche'' (Little Church), built between 1773 and 1776, is the oldest church of Karlsruhe's city centre. The architect Friedrich Weinbrenner designed many of the city's most important sights. Another sight is the ''Rondellplatz'' with its 'Constitution Building Columns' (1826). It is dedicated to Baden's first constitution in 1818, which was one of the most liberal of its time. The ''Münze'' (mint), erected in 1826/27, was also built by Weinbrenner. Karlsruhe StStephan

The St. Stephan parish church is one of the masterpieces of neoclassical church architecture in. Weinbrenner, who built this church between 1808 and 1814, orientated it to the Pantheon, Rome. Karlsruhe Grabkapelle

The neo-Gothic Grand Ducal Burial Chapel, built between 1889 and 1896, is a

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be considered a type o ...

rather than a church, and is located in the middle of the forest. The main

cemetery A cemetery, burial ground, gravesite, graveyard, or a green space called a memorial park or memorial garden, is a place where the remains of many death, dead people are burial, buried or otherwise entombed. The word ''cemetery'' (from Greek ...

of Karlsruhe is the oldest park-like cemetery in Germany. The

crematorium A crematorium, crematory or cremation center is a venue for the cremation of the Death, dead. Modern crematoria contain at least one cremator (also known as a crematory, retort or cremation chamber), a purpose-built furnace. In some countries a ...

was the first to be built in the style of a church. Karlsruhe is also home to a natural history museum (the State Museum of Natural History Karlsruhe), an opera house (the Baden State Theatre), as well as a number of independent theatres and art galleries. The State Art Gallery, built in 1846 by Heinrich Hübsch, displays paintings and sculptures from six centuries, particularly from France, Germany and Holland. Karlsruhe's newly renovated art museum is one of the most important art museums in

. Further cultural attractions are scattered throughout Karlsruhe's various incorporated suburbs. Established in 1924, the Scheffel Association is the largest literary society in Germany. Today the ''Prinz-Max-Palais'', built between 1881 and 1884 in neoclassical style, houses the organisation and includes its museum. Karlsruhe Moninger Jugendstil

Due to population growth in the late 19th century, Karlsruhe developed several suburban areas ('' Vorstadt'') in the and especially

Art Nouveau Art Nouveau ( ; ; ), Jugendstil and Sezessionstil in German, is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. It was often inspired by natural forms such as the sinuous curves of plants and ...

styles of architecture, with many preserved examples. Karlsruhe is also home to the ''Majolika-Manufaktur'', the only art-ceramics pottery studio in Germany. Founded in 1901, it is located in the ''Schlossgarten''. A 'blue streak' (''Blauer Strahl'') consisting of 1,645 ceramic tiles, connects the studio with the Palace. It is the world's largest ceramic artwork. Another tourist attraction is the Centre for Art and Media (''Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie'', or ZKM), which is located in a converted ammunition factory.

Government

Justice

Karlsruhe is the seat of the German Federal Constitutional Court ''(Bundesverfassungsgericht)'' and the highest Court of Appeals in civil and criminal cases, the '' Bundesgerichtshof''. The courts came to Karlsruhe after World War II, when the provinces of Baden and

Württemberg Württemberg ( ; ) is a historical German territory roughly corresponding to the cultural and linguistic region of Swabia. The main town of the region is Stuttgart. Together with Baden and Province of Hohenzollern, Hohenzollern, two other histo ...

were merged.

, capital of Württemberg, became the capital of the new province ( Württemberg-Baden in 1945 and

in 1952). In compensation for the state authorities relocated to Stuttgart, Karlsruhe applied to become the seat of the high court.

Public health

There are four hospitals: The '' Karlsruhe Municipal Hospital'' provides the maximum level of medical services, the ''St. Vincentius-Kliniken'' and the '' Diakonissenkrankenhaus'', connected to the Catholic and Protestant churches, respectively, offer central services, and the private ''Paracelsus-Klinik'' basic medical care, according to state hospital demand planning.

Economy

Germany's largest

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

is located in Karlsruhe, at the western edge of the city, directly on the river

. The ''Technologieregion Karlsruhe'' is a loose confederation of the region's cities in order to promote

high tech High technology (high tech or high-tech), also known as advanced technology (advanced tech) or exotechnology, is technology that is at the state of the art, cutting edge: the highest form of technology available. It can be defined as either the ...

industries; today, about 20% of the region's jobs are in

research and development Research and development (R&D or R+D), known in some countries as OKB, experiment and design, is the set of innovative activities undertaken by corporations or governments in developing new services or products. R&D constitutes the first stage ...

. EnBW, one of Germany's biggest

electric utility An electric utility, or a power company, is a company in the electric power industry (often a public utility) that engages in electricity generation and distribution of electricity for sale generally in a regulated market. Electric utilities are ...

companies, with a revenue of €19.2 billion in 2012, is headquartered in the city.

Internet activities

Due to the

providing services until the late 1990, Karlsruhe became known as the ''internet capital'' of Germany. The DENIC, Germany's network information centre, has since moved to Frankfurt, though, where DE-CIX is located. Two major

internet service provider An Internet service provider (ISP) is an organization that provides a myriad of services related to accessing, using, managing, or participating in the Internet. ISPs can be organized in various forms, such as commercial, community-owned, no ...

s, WEB.DE and

schlund+partner Robby Schlund (born 19 February 1967) is a German politician for the populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and from 2017 to 2021 member of the Bundestag, the federal legislative body. Biography Schlund was born 1967 in the East German ...

/ 1&1, now both owned by United Internet AG, are located at Karlsruhe. The library of the

developed the Karlsruher Virtueller Katalog, the first internet site that allowed researchers worldwide (for free) to search multiple library catalogues worldwide. In 2000, the regional online newspaper ''ka-news.de'' was created. As a daily newspaper, it not only provides the news, but also informs readers about upcoming events in Karlsruhe and surrounding areas. Karlsruhe Rbf Einfahrgruppe

In addition to established companies, Karlsruhe has a vivid and spreading startup community with well-known startups. Together, the local

industry is responsible for over 22,000 jobs.

Politics

Mayor

The current mayor of Karlsruhe is Frank Mentrup of the Social Democratic Party (SPD) since 2013. The most recent mayoral election was held on 6 December 2020, and the results were as follows: ! colspan=2, Candidate ! Party ! Votes ! % , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Frank Mentrup , align=left, SPD/

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 ...

, 50,064 , 52.6 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Sven Weigt , align=left, CDU/ FDP , 24,158 , 25.4 , - , , align=left, Petra Lorenz , align=left, Free Voters/For Karlsruhe , 8,303 , 8.7 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Paul Schmidt , 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 ...

, 3,914 , 4.1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Vanessa Schulz , 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 ...

, 2,660 , 2.8 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Marc Nehlig , align=left, Independent , 6,065 , 6.4 , - , colspan=3 align=left, ''Other'' , 97 , 0.1 , - ! colspan=3, Valid votes ! 95,261 ! 99.6 , - ! colspan=3, Invalid votes ! 430 ! 0.4 , - ! colspan=3, Total ! 95,961 ! 100.0 , - ! colspan=3, Electorate/voter turnout ! 231,335 ! 41.4 , - , colspan=5, Source
City of Karlsruhe

List of mayors

After the castle was founded in 1715, there was also a settlement in which a mayor was appointed from 1718. From 1812 the mayors received the title of Lord Mayor. In addition to the Lord Mayor, there are five other mayors. Mayor for: * Human Resources, Elections and Statistics, Citizen Service and Security, Culture * Youth and social affairs, schools, sports, pools * Finance, economy and work, city marketing, congresses, exhibitions and events, tourism, supply and ports, real estate and market affairs * Environment and climate protection, health, cemetery office, waste management, forestry, fire and disaster control * Planning, building, real estate management, people's apartment and zoo

List of Mayors

City council

The Karlsruhe 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, Alliance 90/The Greens (Grüne) , 1,546,887 , 25.6 , 4.5 , 12 , 3 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Christian Democratic Union (CDU) , 1,186,644 , 19.6 , 0.9 , 10 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Social Democratic Party (SPD) , 749,043 , 12.4 , 1.9 , 6 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

(AfD) , 606,048 , 10.0 , 2.9 , 5 , 2 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Democratic Party (FDP) , 377,480 , 6.2 , 1.1 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Volt Germany (Volt) , 351,295 , 5.8 , New , 3 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, The Left (Die Linke) , 335,309 , 5.5 , 1.5 , 3 , 0.0 , - , , align=left, Karlsruher List (KAL) , 322,146 , 5.3 , 0.3 , 3 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left,

, 183,083 , 3.0 , 1.6 , 1 , 1 , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Free Voters Karlsruhe (FW KA) , 179,500 , 3.0 , 0.2 , 1 , 1 , - , , align=left, For Karlsruhe (FÜR) , 122,453 , 2.0 , 0.7 , 1 , 1 , - , , align=left, Democracy and Education Karlsruhe , 35,315 , 0.6 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Ecological Democratic Party (ÖDP) , 31,066 , 0.5 , New , 0 , New , - , , align=left, KAG , 12,546 , 0.2 , New , 0 , New , - , bgcolor=, , align=left, Team Todenhöfer , 8,463 , 0.1 , New , 0 , New , - ! colspan=2, Valid votes ! 6,047,278 ! 100.0 ! ! 48 ! ±0 , - ! colspan=2, Invalid ballots ! 2,702 ! 2.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Total ballots ! 138,198 ! 100.0 ! ! ! , - ! colspan=2, Electorate/voter turnout ! 225,262 ! 61.4 ! 2.7 ! ! , - , colspan=7, Source
City of Karlsruhe

Transport

Railway

The Verkehrsbetriebe Karlsruhe (VBK) operates the city's urban public transport network, comprising seven tram routes and a network of bus routes. All city areas can be reached round the clock by tram and a night bus system. The Turmbergbahn

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 ...

, to the east of the city centre, is also operated by the VBK. Similar to a premetro tramlines operating in the city centre use two tramway tunnels that were completed on 11 December 2021. The VBK is also a partner, with the Albtal-Verkehrs-Gesellschaft and Deutsche Bahn, in the operation of the Karlsruhe Stadtbahn, the rail system that serves a larger area around the city. This system makes it possible to reach other towns in the region, like Ettlingen, Wörth am Rhein,

, Bad Wildbad, Bretten, Bruchsal, Heilbronn,

, and even Freudenstadt in 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 ...

right from the city centre. The Stadtbahn is known for pioneering the concept of operating trams on train tracks, to achieve a more effective and attractive

public transport Public transport (also known as public transit, mass transit, or simply transit) are forms of transport available to the general public. It typically uses a fixed schedule, route and charges a fixed fare. There is no rigid definition of whic ...

system. Karlsruhe is connected via road and rail, with Autobahn and Intercity Express connections going to

Frankfurt Frankfurt am Main () is the most populous city in the States of Germany, German state of Hesse. Its 773,068 inhabitants as of 2022 make it the List of cities in Germany by population, fifth-most populous city in Germany. Located in the forela ...

Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...

and

Freiburg Freiburg im Breisgau or simply Freiburg is the List of cities in Baden-Württemberg by population, fourth-largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim and Karlsruhe. Its built-up area has a population of abou ...

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 ...

from Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof. Since June 2007 it has been connected to the TGV network, reducing travel time to

to three hours (previously it had taken five hours). The Rhine Valley Railway is also an important freight line. Freight trains can bypass Karlsuhe Hauptbahnhof via the Karlsruhe freight bypass railway.

Shipping

Two ports on the

provide transport capacity on

cargo ship A cargo ship or freighter is a merchant ship that carries cargo, goods, and materials from one port to another. Thousands of cargo carriers ply the world's List of seas, seas and Ocean, oceans each year, handling the bulk of international trade. ...

s, especially for petroleum products.

Airport

The nearest airport is part of the Baden Airpark (officially ''Flughafen Karlsruhe/

'') about southwest of Karlsruhe, with regular connections to airports in Germany and Europe in general. Frankfurt International Airport can be reached in about an hour and a half by car (one hour by Intercity Express); Stuttgart Airport can be reached in about one hour (about an hour and a half by train and

S-Bahn The S-Bahn ( , ), , is a hybrid urban rail, urban–suburban rail system serving a metropolitan region predominantly in German language, German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit syst ...

Streets

Karlsruhe is at the Bundesautobahn 5 and the Bundesstraße 10. In the city there is a good bike lane infrastructure. Two interesting facts in transportation history are that both Karl Drais, the inventor of the bicycle, as well as

Karl Benz Carl (or Karl) Friedrich Benz (; born Karl Friedrich Michael Vaillant; 25 November 1844 – 4 April 1929) was a German engine designer and automotive engineer. His Benz Patent-Motorwagen from 1885 is considered the first practical modern automo ...

, the inventor of the automobile were born in Karlsruhe. Benz was born in Mühlburg, which later became a borough of Karlsruhe (in 1886). Benz also studied at the Karlsruhe University. Benz's wife Bertha took the world's first long distance-drive with an automobile from

to Karlsruhe-Grötzingen and

(see Bertha Benz Memorial Route). Their professional lives led both men to the neighboring city of Mannheim, where they first applied their most famous inventions. File:Duplex in Karlsruhe III.JPG, The Karlsruhe Hauptbahnhof, the main station in Karlsruhe File:Karlsruhe tram 2017 3.jpg, alt=A tram in Karlsruhe 2017, A tram in Karlsruhe, 2017 File:Karlsruhe Sophienstr bei Waldstr.jpg, A bike street in Karlsruhe File:Südtangente Karlsruhe IMGP0787-crop.JPG, The Bundesstraße 10 in Karlsruhe Karlsruhe Leibgrenadierdenkmal

Jewish community

Jews settled in Karlsruhe soon after its founding.Karlsruhe (Carlsruhe)
(1906). ''The Jewish Encyclopedia''. Ed. Isidore Singer. Vol. 7. p. 448-449. They were attracted by the numerous privileges granted by its founder to settlers, without discrimination as to creed. Official documents attest the presence of several Jewish families at Karlsruhe in 1717. A year later the city council addressed to the margrave a report in which a question was raised as to the proportion of municipal charges to be borne by the newly arrived Jews, who in that year formed an organized congregation, with Rabbi Nathan Uri Kohen of

Metz Metz ( , , , then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle (river), Moselle and the Seille (Moselle), Seille rivers. Metz is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Moselle (department), Moselle Departments ...

at its head. A document dated 1726 gives the names of twenty-four Jews who had taken part in an election of municipal officers. As the city grew, permission to settle there became less easily obtained by Jews, and the community developed more slowly. A 1752 Jewry ordinance stated Jews were forbidden to leave the city on Sundays and Christian holidays, or to go out of their houses during church services, but they were exempted from service by court summonses on Sabbaths. They could sell wine only in inns owned by Jews and graze their cattle, not on the

commons The commons is the cultural and natural resources accessible to all members of a society, including natural materials such as air, water, and a habitable Earth. These resources are held in common even when owned privately or publicly. Commons ...

, but on the wayside only. Nethanael Weill was a rabbi in Karlsruhe from 1750 until his death. In 1783, by a decree issued by Margrave Charles Frederick of Baden, the Jews ceased to be serfs, and consequently could settle wherever they pleased. The same decree freed them from the ''Todfall'' tax, paid to the clergy for each Jewish burial. In commemoration of these changes special prayers were prepared by the acting rabbi Jedidiah Tiah Weill, who, succeeding his father in 1770, held the office until 1805. In 1808 the new constitution of what at that time, during the

Napoleonic era The Napoleonic era is a period in the history of France and history of Europe, Europe. It is generally classified as including the fourth and final stage of the French Revolution, the first being the National Assembly (French Revoluti ...

, had become the

granted Jews citizenship status; a subsequent edict, in 1809, constitutionally acknowledged Jews as a religious group. Dubnow, Simon (1920). ''Die neueste Geschichte des Jüdischen Volkes (1789–1914)''. Translated from the Russian by Alexander Eliasberg
Vol. 1. Einleitung. Erste Abteilung: Das Zeitalter der ersten Emanzipation (1789–1815)
Berlin: Jüdischer Verlag. p. 288. The latter edict provided for a hierarchical organization of the Jewish communities of Baden, under the umbrella of a central council of Baden Jewry (Oberrat der Israeliten Badens), with its seat in Karlsruhe, and the appointment of a chief rabbi of Karlsruhe, as the spiritual head of the Jews in all of Baden. The first chief rabbi of Karlsruhe and Baden was Rabbi Asher Loew, who served from 1809 until his death in 1837. Complete

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

was given in 1862, Jews were elected to city council and Baden parliament, and from 1890 were appointed judges. Jews were persecuted in the 'Hep-Hep' riots that occurred in 1819; and anti-Jewish demonstrations were held in 1843, 1848, and the 1880s. The well-known German-Israeli artist Leo Kahn studied in Karlsruhe before leaving for France and Israel in the 1920s and 1930s. Today, there are about 900 members in the Jewish community, many of whom are recent immigrants from Russia, and an orthodox rabbi. Karlsruhe has memorialized its Jewish community and notable pre-war synagogues with a memorial park. File:Juedischer Friedhof Groetzingen.jpg, Jewish cemetery of Grötzingen File:Karlsruhe Synagoge 1810.jpg, alt=Karlsruhe Synagogue, built by Friedrich Weinbrenner in 1798 (existed until 1871), The Karlsruhe Synagogue, built by Friedrich Weinbrenner in 1798 (existed until 1871) File:Karlsruhe Shoa.jpg, Holocaust memorial File:Karlsruhe Synagoge Luftbild.jpg, The new synagogue File:Chanukka Karlsruhe-2016 Mentrup-Mendelson.jpg, Public menorah on the ''Marktplatz''

Karlsruhe and the Shoah

On 28 October 1938, all Jewish men of Polish extraction were expelled to the Polish border, their families joining them later and most ultimately perishing in the ghettoes and concentration camps. On Kristallnacht (9–10 November 1938), the Adass Jeshurun synagogue was burned to the ground, the main synagogue was damaged, and Jewish men were taken to the Dachau concentration camp after being beaten and tormented. Deportations commenced on 22 October 1940, when 893 Jews were loaded onto trains for the three-day journey to the Gurs concentration camp in France. Another 387 were deported in from 1942 to 1945 to lzbica in the Lublin district (Poland), Theresienstadt, and Auschwitz. Of the 1,280 Jews deported directly from Karlsruhe, 1,175 perished. Another 138 perished after deportation from other German cities or occupied Europe. In all, 1,421 of Karlsruhe's Jews died during the Shoah. A new community was formed after the war by surviving former residents, with a new synagogue erected in 1971. It numbered 359 in 1980.

Notable people

Public service

* Jacob Ettlinger (1798–1871), an

Ashkenazi Ashkenazi Jews ( ; also known as Ashkenazic Jews or Ashkenazim) form a distinct subgroup of the Jewish diaspora, that Ethnogenesis, emerged in the Holy Roman Empire around the end of the first millennium Common era, CE. They traditionally spe ...

rabbi and author and one of the leaders of

Orthodox Judaism Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Torah, Written and Oral Torah, Oral, as literally revelation, revealed by God in Ju ...

. * Anton von Stabel (1806-1880), a Baden lawyer, judge and statesman. * Heinrich Julius Holtzmann (1832–1910), Protestant theologian. * Adolf Hausrath (1837–1909), a German theologian. * Adolf Marschall von Bieberstein (1842–1912), State Secretary of the

Foreign Office Foreign may refer to: Government * Foreign policy, how a country interacts with other countries * Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in many countries ** Foreign Office, a department of the UK government ** Foreign office and foreign minister * United ...

of the

German Empire The German Empire (),; ; World Book, Inc. ''The World Book dictionary, Volume 1''. World Book, Inc., 2003. p. 572. States that Deutsches Reich translates as "German Realm" and was a former official name of Germany. also referred to as Imperia ...

. *

(1844–1929), mechanical engineer and inventor of the first automobile; founded Benz & Co.,

Daimler-Benz Mercedes-Benz Group AG (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler, and Daimler) is a Germany, German Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive company headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is o ...

, (now part of Daimler AG). He was born locally in Mühlburg * Friedrich Ratzel (1844–1904), geographer and ethnographer, used the term ''

Lebensraum (, ) is a German concept of expansionism and Völkisch movement, ''Völkisch'' nationalism, the philosophy and policies of which were common to German politics from the 1890s to the 1940s. First popularized around 1901, '' lso in:' beca ...

''. * Hedwig Kettler (1851–1937), women's rights activist, writer and education reformer; founded the first German ''Mädchengymnasium'' (girls' high school) in Karlsruhe * Berthold von Deimling (1853–1944), general officer of the German Army during WW1 became a pacifist. * Franz Lipp (1855–1937), a German lawyer and politician, participant in Palm Sunday Putsch * Ludwig R. Conradi (1856–1939), leader of European

Adventism Adventism is a branch of Protestant Christianity that believes in the imminent Second Coming (or the "Second Advent") of Jesus Christ. It originated in the 1830s in the United States during the Second Great Awakening when Baptist preacher Will ...

, caused controversy and schism * Gustav Landauer (1870–1919), theorist of

anarchism Anarchism is a political philosophy and Political movement, movement that seeks to abolish all institutions that perpetuate authority, coercion, or Social hierarchy, hierarchy, primarily targeting the state (polity), state and capitalism. A ...

in Germany * Maximilian Bayer (1872–1917), founded Scouting in Germany * Walter von Reichenau (1884–1942), '' Generalfeldmarschall'' in World War II; authored the Severity Order * Otto Wagener (1888–1971), SA-'' Stabschef'', Nazi economic specialist and a ''

Generalmajor is the Germanic languages, Germanic variant of major general, used in a number of Central Europe, Central and Northern European countries. Austria Belgium Denmark is the second lowest general officer rank in the Royal Danish Army and R ...

'' in the ''

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the German Army (1935–1945), ''Heer'' (army), the ''Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmac ...

'' *brothers Maximilian Fretter-Pico (1892–1984), &

Otto Fretter-Pico __NOTOC__ Otto Fretter-Pico (2 February 1893 – 30 July 1966) was a German general in the Wehrmacht during World War II. A veteran of WWI and the younger brother of General Maximilian Fretter-Pico, he took part in operations from Invasion of Pola ...

(1893–1966), WW2 generals * Reinhold Frank (1896–1945), lawyer who worked for the resistance in Nazi Germany. helped the 20 July plot * Hans Frank (1900–1946),

war criminal A war crime is a violation of the laws of war that gives rise to individual criminal responsibility for actions by combatants in action, such as intentionally killing civilians or intentionally killing prisoners of war, torture, taking hostage ...

Obergruppenführer SA, Gauleiter and governor-general of Nazi-occupied Poland; hanged at Nuremberg for his war crimes during World War II * Siegfried Buback (1920–1977), then- Attorney General of West Germany, victim of the Rote Armee Fraktion * Werner Nachmann (1925–1988), entrepreneur and politician * Harry L. Ettlinger (1926–2018), US Army private who assisted the MFAA in the recovery of art looted by the Nazis. He was the last Jewish boy to celebrate his

bar mitzvah A ''bar mitzvah'' () or ''bat mitzvah'' () is a coming of age ritual in Judaism. According to Halakha, Jewish law, before children reach a certain age, the parents are responsible for their child's actions. Once Jewish children reach that age ...

in Karlsruhe's Kronenstrasse Synagogue * Ingo Wellenreuther (born 1959), former judge; politician, (CDU), member of the Bundestag, 2002 to 2021. * Dirk Jens Nonnenmacher (born 1963),

mathematician A mathematician is someone who uses an extensive knowledge of mathematics in their work, typically to solve mathematical problems. Mathematicians are concerned with numbers, data, quantity, mathematical structure, structure, space, Mathematica ...

and bank CEO and chairman * Joachim Nagel (born 1966), economist, President of the Bundesbank since 2022. * Frank-Jürgen Richter (born 1967), entrepreneur and former director of the

World Economic Forum The World Economic Forum (WEF) is an international non-governmental organization, international advocacy non-governmental organization and think tank, based in Cologny, Canton of Geneva, Switzerland. It was founded on 24 January 1971 by German ...

. * Ulrich Arnswald (born 1970), German philosopher, economist and political scientist * Diana Stöcker (born 1970), politician (CDU) Karoline von guenderode

Rihm Wolfgang Philharmonie koeln 0806 2007 - cropped

The arts

* Johann Peter Hebel (1760–1826), short story writer, dialectal poet and Lutheran theologian; lived locally. * Antoine Ignace Melling (1763–1831), painter, architect and voyager * Friedrich Weinbrenner (1766–1826), neoclassicist architect; his tomb is in the main Protestant church. * Karoline von Günderrode (1780–1806), romantic poet. * August Böckh (1785–1867), classical scholar and antiquarian. * Julius Braun (1825–1869), historian, with an interest in art, culture and religion. * Joseph Viktor von Scheffel (1826–1886), poet and novelist. * Ludwig Eichrodt (1827-1892), poet and dramatist. * Ferdinand Keller (1842–1922), genre and history painter. * Teobert Maler (1842–1917), an explorer who documented the ruins of the

Maya civilization The Maya civilization () was a Mesoamerican civilization that existed from antiquity to the early modern period. It is known by its ancient temples and glyphs (script). The Maya script is the most sophisticated and highly developed writin ...

. * Hermann Billing (1867–1946),

architect, born and lived in Karlsruhe, where his works now are. * Karl Hofer (1878–1955) an expressionist painter & director of the Berlin Academy of Fine Arts. * Otto Bartning (1883–1959), architect and architectural theorist; planned the Bauhaus with

Walter Gropius Walter Adolph Georg Gropius (; 18 May 1883 – 5 July 1969) was a German-born American architect and founder of the Bauhaus, Bauhaus School, who is widely regarded as one of the pioneering masters of modernist architecture. He was a founder of ...

* Margarete Schweikert (1887–1957), composer, music critic, violinist and pianist * Hermann Goetz (1898–1976), art historian (partic. Indian art history) and museum director * Marie Luise Kaschnitz (1901–1974). short story writer, novelist, essayist and poet. * Peter Sloterdijk (born 1947), philosopher and cultural theorist, rejects the existence of dualisms * Wolfgang Rihm (1952–2024), composer of

contemporary classical music Contemporary classical music is Western art music composed close to the present day. At the beginning of the 21st-century classical music, 21st century, it commonly referred to the post-1945 Modernism (music), post-tonal music after the death of ...

* Kolja Lessing (born 1961), violinist, pianist, composer and academic teacher * Sebastian Koch (born 1962), television and film actor. * Andi Deris (born 1964), musician and songwriter, lead singer of the

power metal Power metal is a subgenre of heavy metal combining characteristics of traditional heavy metal with speed metal, often within a symphonic context. Generally, power metal is characterized by a faster, lighter, and more uplifting sound, in co ...

band Helloween * Susanne Stichler (born 1969), journalist and television presenter * Laith Al-Deen (born 1972), pop singer. * Maren Ade (born 1976), film director, screenwriter and producer. * Nora Krug (born 1977), German-American writer, lives in

Brooklyn Brooklyn is a Boroughs of New York City, borough of New York City located at the westernmost end of Long Island in the New York (state), State of New York. Formerly an independent city, the borough is coextensive with Kings County, one of twelv ...

* Moon Ga-young (born 1996), South Korean actress and model

Science

* Johann Gottfried Tulla (1770–1828), stabilized and straightened the southern

; a co-founder of the Karlsruhe University (1825) * Karl Drais (1785–1851), inventor of the two-wheeler principle ( dandy horse) basic to bicycles and motorcycles & the key typewriter and earliest stenograph * Friedrich Parrot (1791–1841), a Baltic German naturalist, explorer, and mountaineer; climbed

Mount Ararat Mount Ararat, also known as Masis or Mount Ağrı, is a snow-capped and dormant compound volcano in Eastern Turkey, easternmost Turkey. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest p ...

* Robert Gerwig (1820–1885), civil engineer, designer of the Black Forest Railway *

Heinrich Hertz Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (; ; 22 February 1857 – 1 January 1894) was a German physicist who first conclusively proved the existence of the electromagnetic waves predicted by James Clerk Maxwell's equations of electromagnetism. Biography Heinri ...

(1857–1894), discovered electromagnetic waves at the

University of Karlsruhe The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT; ) is both a German public university, public research university in Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, and a research center of the Helmholtz Association. KIT was created in 2009 when the University of Ka ...

in the 1880s. * Hermann Blau (1871–1944), engineer and chemist and inventor of Blau gas * Richard Willstätter (1872–1942), organic chemist, recipient of 1915 Nobel Prize for Chemistry * Eugen Fischer (1874–1967), physician who influenced Nazi racial hygiene * Rahel Straus (1880–1963), a pioneering German-Jewish medical doctor, feminist and writer. * Friedrich Hund (1896–1997), physicist of the pioneering generation of

quantum mechanics Quantum mechanics is the fundamental physical Scientific theory, theory that describes the behavior of matter and of light; its unusual characteristics typically occur at and below the scale of atoms. Reprinted, Addison-Wesley, 1989, It is ...

(see Hund's rules) * S. H. Foulkes (1898-1976), psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, founder of group analysis. * Erik H. Erikson (1902–1994), children's psychoanalyst and theoretical pioneer of identity building. School locally * Fritz Görnnert (1907–1984), German aircraft engineer and civil servant in the Reich Aviation Ministry * Klaus-Robert Müller (born 1964), computer scientist and physicist, a pioneer of

machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of Computational statistics, statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalise to unseen data, and thus perform Task ( ...

Sport

2018-11-30 DFB presentation of the new head coach of the National Womens Team StP 6868 LR10 by Stepro

* Ludwig Durlacher (1844–1924), a

-born American strongman and gym owner. * Walther Bensemann (1873–1934), one of the founders of the first southern German soccer club Karlsruher FV and later one of the founders of DFB, lived locally * Gottfried Fuchs (1889–1972), was born in Karlsruhe and holds the record of ten goals in one single international soccer match at the 1912 Olympics for the German national team * Julius Hirsch (1892–1945), Olympian footballer, first Jewish member of the national team, two-time Germany team champion, awarded the

Iron Cross The Iron Cross (, , abbreviated EK) was a military decoration in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Empire (1871–1918), and Nazi Germany (1933–1945). The design, a black cross pattée with a white or silver outline, was derived from the in ...

during World War I, murdered in

Auschwitz concentration camp Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 Nazi concentration camps, concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany, occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) d ...

* Lina Radke (1903–1983), track and field athlete gold medallist, women's 800m at the

1928 Summer Olympics The 1928 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the IX Olympiad (), was an international multi-sport event that was celebrated from 28 July to 12 August 1928 in Amsterdam, Netherlands. The city of Amsterdam had previously bid for ...

. * Gerhard Hennige (born 1940). a retired sprinter, silver medallist at the 1968 Summer Olympics * Detlef Hofmann (born 1963), sprint canoeist, gold medallist at the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

. * Oliver Bierhoff (born 1968), retired footballer and captain of

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

; played 444 games and 70 for

* Oliver Kahn (born 1969), goalkeeper of Karlsruher SC & Bayern Munich, played 630 games and 86 for

* Mehmet Scholl (born 1970), footballer for Karlsruher SC & Bayern Munich, played 420 games and 36 for

* Jens Nowotny (born 1974), footballer, played 344 games and 48 for

* Renate Lingor (born 1975), former footballer for the Germany women's national football team, played 149 games * Regina Halmich (born 1976), retired female boxing flyweight world champion * Vincenzo Italiano (born 1977), Italian football manager currently managing Fiorentina, played 410 games * Dennis Aogo (born 1987), football defender, played 340 games and 12 for

* Danny Williams (born 1989), footballer played 290 games and 23 for

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

* Sead Kolašinac (born 1993), Bosnian footballer, played 60 games for Bosnia * Marco Pašalić (born 2000), footballer * Alexi Pitu (born 2002), Romanian football player

Aristocracy

* Charles III William, Margrave of Baden-Durlach (1679–1738), Margrave of Baden-Durlach, 1709 to 1738. *

Frederica of Baden Frederica of Baden (Frederica Dorothea Wilhelmina; 12 March 1781 – 25 September 1826) was List of Swedish royal consorts, Queen of Sweden from 1797 to 1809 as the Queen consort, consort of King Gustav IV Adolf of Sweden, Gustav IV Adolf. Life ...

(1781–1826) Queen of Sweden from 1797 to 1809 as the consort of King Gustav IV Adolf. * Princess Alexandrine of Baden (1820–1904), Duchess of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha 1844 to 1893 * Frederick II, Grand Duke of Baden (1857–1928) the last sovereign Grand Duke of Baden, 1907 to abolition 1918. * Victoria of Baden (1862–1930), queen consort of Sweden by her marriage to King Gustaf V of Sweden * Berthold, Margrave of Baden (1906–1963), head of the House of Baden, until 1918 & 1929 until his death

Education

* Bismarck-Gymnasium Karlsruhe Karlsruhe is a renowned research and study centre, with one of Germany's finest institutions of higher education.

Technology, engineering, and business

The Karlsruhe University (''Universität Karlsruhe-TH''), the oldest technical university in Germany, is home to the '' Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe'' (Karlsruhe Research Center), where engineering and scientific research is performed in the areas of health, earth, and environmental sciences. The Karlsruhe University of Applied Sciences (''Hochschule Karlsruhe-HS'') is the largest university of technology in the state of

, offering both professional and academic education in

engineering Engineering is the practice of using natural science, mathematics, and the engineering design process to Problem solving#Engineering, solve problems within technology, increase efficiency and productivity, and improve Systems engineering, s ...

sciences and business. In 2009, the

joined the '' Forschungszentrum Karlsruhe'' to form the

(KIT).

The arts

The Academy of Fine Arts, Karlsruhe is one of the smallest universities in Germany, with average 300 students. The Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG) was founded to the same time as its sister institution, the Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe ('' Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie''). The HfG teaching and research focuses on new media and media art. The Hochschule für Musik Karlsruhe is a music conservatory that offers degrees in composition, music performance, education, and radio

journalism Journalism is the production and distribution of reports on the interaction of events, facts, ideas, and people that are the "news of the day" and that informs society to at least some degree of accuracy. The word, a noun, applies to the journ ...

. Since 1989 it has been located in the Gottesaue Palace.

International education

The Karlshochschule International University (formerly known as ''Merkur Internationale Fachhochschule'') was founded in 2004. As a foundation-owned, state-approved management school, Karlshochschule offers undergraduate education in both German and English, focusing on international and intercultural

management Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a Government agency, government bodies through business administration, Nonprofit studies, nonprofit management, or the political s ...

, as well as service- and culture-related industries. Furthermore, an international consecutive

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

leadership studies Leadership studies is a multidisciplinary academic field of study that focuses on leadership in organizational contexts and in human life. Leadership studies has origins in the social sciences (e.g., sociology, anthropology, psychology), in huma ...

is offered in English.

European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT)

Karlsruhe hosts one of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology's Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs) focusing on

sustainable energy Energy system, Energy is sustainability, sustainable if it "meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." Definitions of sustainable energy usually look at its effects on the e ...

. Other co‑centres are based in

Grenoble Grenoble ( ; ; or ; or ) is the Prefectures in France, prefecture and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of the Isère Departments of France, department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Regions of France, region ...

, France (CC Alps Valleys);

Eindhoven Eindhoven ( ; ) is a city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality of the Netherlands, located in the southern Provinces of the Netherlands, province of North Brabant, of which it is the largest municipality, and is also locat ...

, the Netherlands, and

Leuven Leuven (, , ), also called Louvain (, , ), is the capital and largest City status in Belgium, city of the Provinces of Belgium, province of Flemish Brabant in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is located about east of Brussels. The municipalit ...

, Belgium (CC

Benelux The Benelux Union (; ; ; ) or Benelux is a politico-economic union, alliance and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of three neighbouring states in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. The name is a portma ...

);

Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...

, Spain (CC Iberia);

Kraków , officially the Royal Capital City of Kraków, is the List of cities and towns in Poland, second-largest and one of the oldest cities in Poland. Situated on the Vistula River in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, the city has a population of 804,237 ...

, Poland (CC PolandPlus); and

Stockholm Stockholm (; ) is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in Sweden by population, most populous city of Sweden, as well as the List of urban areas in the Nordic countries, largest urban area in the Nordic countries. Approximately ...

, Sweden (CC Sweden).

University of Education

The Karlsruhe University of Education was founded in 1962. It is specialized in educational processes. The university has about 3700 students and 180 full-time researchers and lecturers. It offers a wide range of educational studies, like teaching profession for primary and secondary schools (both optional with a European Teaching Certificate profile), Bachelor programs that specializes in Early Childhood Education and in Health and Leisure Education, Master programs in Educational Science, Intercultural Education, Migration and Multilingualism. Furthermore, the University of Education Karlsruhe offers a Master program for Biodiversity and Environmental Education.

Culture

In 1999 the ZKM (''Zentrum für Kunst und Medientechnologie'', Centre for Art and Media) was opened. Linking new media theory and practice, the ZKM is located in a former weapons factory. Among the institutes related to the ZKM are the '' Staatliche Hochschule für Gestaltung'' (State University of Design), whose president is philosopher Peter Sloterdijk and the Museum for Contemporary Art.

Twin towns – sister cities

Karlsruhe is twinned with: * Nancy, France (1955) *

Nottingham Nottingham ( , East Midlands English, locally ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and Unitary authorities of England, unitary authority area in Nottinghamshire, East Midlands, England. It is located south-east of Sheffield and nor ...

, England, United Kingdom (1969) * Halle, Germany (1987) *

Krasnodar Krasnodar, formerly Yekaterinodar (until 1920), is the largest city and the administrative centre of Krasnodar Krai, Russia. The city stands on the Kuban River in southern Russia, with a population of 1,154,885 residents, and up to 1.263 millio ...

, Russia (1997) *

Timișoara Timișoara (, , ; , also or ; ; ; see #Etymology, other names) is the capital city of Timiș County, Banat, and the main economic, social and cultural center in Western Romania. Located on the Bega (Tisza), Bega River, Timișoara is consider ...

, Romania (1997) * Vinnytsia, Ukraine (2022)

Partnerships

Karlsruhe also cooperates with: * Oulu, Finland

Legacy

* The Ukrainian village Stepove near the city of

Mykolaiv Mykolaiv ( ), also known as Nikolaev ( ) is a List of cities in Ukraine, city and a hromada (municipality) in southern Ukraine. Mykolaiv is the Administrative centre, administrative center of Mykolaiv Raion (Raions of Ukraine, district) and Myk ...

in southern Ukraine was established by German colonists as Karlsruhe. * The element Protactinium was discovered here in 1913.

Events

Every year in July there is a large open-air festival lasting three days called simply '' Das Fest'' ("The Festival"). The Baden State Theatre has sponsored the Händel Festival since 1978. The city hosted the 23rd and 31st European Juggling Conventions (EJC) in 2000 and 2008. In July the African Summer Festival is held in the city's Nordstadt. Markets, drumming workshops, exhibitions, a varied children's programme, and musical performances take place during the three days festival. In the past Karlsruhe has been the host of LinuxTag (the biggest Linux event in Europe) and until 2006 hosted the annual Linux Audio Conference. Visitors and locals watched the total

solar eclipse A solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between Earth and the Sun, thereby obscuring the view of the Sun from a small part of Earth, totally or partially. Such an alignment occurs approximately every six months, during the eclipse season i ...

at noon on August 11, 1999. The city was not only located within the eclipse path but was one of the few within Germany not plagued by bad weather.

Sport

; Football: Karlsruher SC (KSC), DFB (2. Liga) ; Basketball: PS Karlsruhe Lions, 2024 champion of the ProA (second division) Karlsruhe co-hosted the FIBA EuroBasket 1985. ; Volleyball: SVK Beiertheim, second German division ; Tennis: TC Rueppurr (TCR), ennis-Bundesliga(women's first division) ; Lacrosse: KIT SC Karlsruhe Storm, 1. Bundesliga Süd ; Baseball, softball: Karlsruhe Cougars, Regional League South-East (men's baseball), 1st Bundesliga South (women's softball I) and State League South (women's softball II) ; American football: Badener Greifs, currently competing in the Regional League Central but formerly a member of the German Football League's 1st Bundesliga, lost to the Berlin Adler in the 1987 German Bowl (see also: German Football League) Karlsruhe Schloss Panorama1 meph666 Okt 2006

Karlsruhe Schloss Panorama1 meph666 Okt 2006

Notes

References

External links

*
Map of Karlsruhe
* City wiki of Karlsruhe
Karlsruhe Nuclide Chart
{{Authority control 1715 establishments in the Holy Roman Empire Capitals of former nations Cities in Baden-Württemberg Holocaust locations in Germany Karlsruhe (region) Planned capitals Populated places established in 1715 Populated places on the Rhine Urban districts of Baden-Württemberg