Freudenstadt
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Freudenstadt | |
 |
|
| Coat of arms | Location |
 |
  |
| Administration | |
| Country |  Germany |
|---|---|
| State | Baden-Württemberg |
| Admin. region | Karlsruhe |
| District | Freudenstadt |
| Lord Mayor | Erwin Reichert (SPD) |
| Basic statistics | |
| Area | 87.58 km² (33.8 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 728 m (2389 ft) |
| Population | 23,942 (31/12/2006) |
| - Density | 273 /km² (708 /sq mi) |
| Other information | |
| Time zone | CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2) |
| Licence plate | FDS |
| Postal codes | 72231–72250 |
| Area code | 07441 |
| Website | www.freudenstadt.de |
Freudenstadt is a town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, and is capital of the district Freudenstadt. The closest population centres are Offenburg to the West (approx. 36 km away) and Tübingen to the east (approx. 47 km away).
The city lies on a high plateau at the east edge of the north Black Forest, and is well-known for its fresh air. Its city centre is famous as the largest market place in Germany. After Horb, it is the second largest city of the Freudenstadt district, and has, since 1st January 1988, been the district capital. The city has an administration partnership with the communities Bad Rippoldsau-Schapbach and Seewald.
Freudenstadt is a climatic health resort of international renown. In the 19th and 20th centuries, visitors of note included King George of England, the Queen of Sweden, Ambassador Rockefeller, and even the American writer Mark Twain. With its many hotels and guest houses, and its high-class cuisine, Freudenstadt remains a popular vacation spot for Germans from every part of the country. Among the many Germans of note who considered Freudenstadt a second home was the justice inspector Friedrich Kellner whose WWII diary is the subject of a Canadian documentary.
[edit] History
The building of Freudenstadt was ordered by duke Frederick of Württemberg in 1599. The designer was architect Heinrich Schickhardt.
[edit] Main sights
- The market places, sided by arcaded houses, is the largest in Germany.
- The Gothic/Renaissance Evangelical Lutheran Church, with its green tower roofs, is on the south side of the market place. It dates back to the beginning of the 17th century, built between 1601 and 1608, and is considered Freudenstadt's most significant building. It was built in the gothic renaissance style.
- The Rathaus (Town Hall), which includes the museum of local history, is also located at the market place.
- Bärenschlössle (castle), built in 1627.
[edit] People
- Johannes Ettwein (1721 - 1802), Bishop in Pennsylvania, U.S.A.[citation needed]
- Johann Gottfried Küstner (1803 - 1864), Lithographer.
- Mark Mast (1963 - ), born in Freudenstadt, raised in Mitteltal. Organizer, conductor and artistic director of the Schwarzwald (Black Forest) Music Festival.
- Friedrich Schlott (1914 - 1997), business entrepreneur and benefactor.
[edit] Twin towns
|
|||||||
