109-784: Südstadt ("South Town") is a district of the city of Heidelberg in Baden-Württemberg , Germany . It is a relatively young district and was established after World War 2, by extending the Weststadt district to the south, and the Rohrbach district to the north. Today, it houses about 4,400 citizens (including about 600 people not registered as residentials of the suburb). Südstadt is the second-smallest district of Heidelberg by population, after Schlierbach. 49°23′37″N 8°41′09″E / 49.39361°N 8.68583°E / 49.39361; 8.68583 This Heidelberg location article
218-509: A fertility rate of 1.1 children per woman in the Stadtkreis ( county ) , Heidelberg had the lowest fertility rate in Baden-Württemberg in 2008. Since 2006, the Oberbürgermeister ( lord mayor ) of Heidelberg has been the independent Eckart Würzner. From 1990 to 2006, the mayor was Beate Weber ( SPD ). The council consists of 48 members with the mayor as chairman. The council
327-435: A commanding elevation, it is buried in green woods, there is no level ground about it, but, on the contrary, there are wooded terraces upon terraces, and one looks down through shining leaves into profound chasms and abysses where twilight reigns and the sun cannot intrude. Nature knows how to garnish a ruin to get the best effect. One of these old towers is split down the middle, and one half has tumbled aside. It tumbled in such
436-514: A complete or partial rebuilding of the castle was not possible, it was possible to preserve it in its current condition. Only the Friedrich Building, whose interiors were fire damaged, but not ruined, would be restored. This reconstruction was done from 1897 to 1900 by Karl Schäfer at the enormous cost of 520,000 Marks. The oldest description of Heidelberg from 1465 mentions that the city is "frequented by strangers", but it did not really become
545-630: A half year in England, and though only 17 years old, thereby took up contact with important architects, who later undertook changes and new building plans for the Heidelberg Castle. Inigo Jones and Salomon de Caus , who knew each other well, stood in the service of the English king's court. Caus accompanied the newlyweds on their return journey to Heidelberg. Jones came to Heidelberg as well in June 1613. Very soon,
654-545: A multitude of tasteless, crumbling ornaments", for the preservation of the building. Until 1822, he served as a voluntary castle warden, and lived for a while in the Glass Wing (Gläserner Saalbau), where he could keep an eye on the courtyard. Long before the origin of historic preservation in Germany, he was the first person to take an interest in the conservation and documentation of the castle, which may never have occurred to any of
763-455: A partition and used by both congregations), the Catholic prince-elector moved his court to Mannheim and lost all interest in the castle. When on 12 April 1720, Charles announced the removal of the court and all its administrative bodies to Mannheim, he wished that "Grass may grow on her streets". The religious conflict was probably only one reason for the move to Mannheim. In addition, converting
872-532: A result of the German mediatisation of 1803, Heidelberg and Mannheim became part of Baden . Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden welcomed the addition to his territory, although he regarded Heidelberg Castle as an unwanted addition. The structure was decaying and the townsfolk were helping themselves to stone, wood, and iron from the castle to build their own houses. The statuary and ornaments were also fair game. August von Kotzebue expressed his indignation in 1803 at
981-541: A row, again setting the castle on fire, which he regarded as a sign from heaven and changed his plans. Victor Hugo , who had come to love the ruins of the castle, also saw it as a divine signal: One could even say that the very heavens had intervened. On 23 June 1764, the day before Karl Theodor was to move into the castle and make it his seat (which, by the bye, would have been a great disaster, for if Karl Theodor had spent his thirty years there, these austere ruins which we today so admire would certainly have been decorated in
1090-570: A signal tower on the bank of the Neckar . They built a wooden bridge based on stone pillars across it. The camp protected the first civilian settlements and was eventually captured by Germanic tribes . The local administrative center in Roman times was the nearby city of Lopodunum, today known as Ladenburg . Modern Heidelberg can trace its beginnings to the fifth century. The village Bergheim ( Mountain Home )
1199-557: A strong backlash in public meetings and in the press. In 1883, the Grand Duchy of Baden established a "Castle field office", supervised by building director Josef Durm in Karlsruhe , district building supervisor Julius Koch and architect Fritz Seitz . The office made a detailed plan for preserving or repairing the main building. They completed their work in 1890, which led a commission of specialists from across Germany to decide that while
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#17330854623931308-416: A total of about 20,000 people), a historic high. The following table shows the number of inhabitants within the boundaries of the city at the time. To 1833 they are mostly estimates, then census results or official updates of the statistical offices of the time or the city administration. The data refer from 1843 to the "local population", from 1925 to the resident population and since 1987 the "population at
1417-596: A tourist attraction until the beginning of the 19th century. Count Graimberg made the castle a pervasive subject for pictures which became forerunners of the postcard. At the same time, the castle was also found on souvenir cups. Tourism received a big boost when Heidelberg was connected to the railway network in 1840. Mark Twain , the American author, described the Heidelberg Castle in his 1880 travel book A Tramp Abroad : A ruin must be rightly situated, to be effective. This one could not have been better placed. It stands upon
1526-439: A way as to establish itself in a picturesque attitude. Then all it lacked was a fitting drapery, and Nature has furnished that; she has robed the rugged mass in flowers and verdure, and made it a charm to the eye. The standing half exposes its arched and cavernous rooms to you, like open, toothless mouths; there, too, the vines and flowers have done their work of grace. The rear portion of the tower has not been neglected, either, but
1635-443: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Heidelberg Heidelberg ( German: [ˈhaɪdl̩bɛʁk] ; Palatine German : Heidlberg ) is the fifth-largest city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg , and with a population of about 163,000, of which roughly a quarter consists of students, it is Germany's 51st-largest city . Located about 78 km (48 mi) south of Frankfurt , Heidelberg
1744-400: Is because this Heidelberg Castle, the residence of the counts Palatine , who were answerable only to kings, emperors, and popes, and was of too much significance to bend to their whims, but couldn't raise his head without coming into conflict with them, and that is because, in my opinion, that the Heidelberg Castle has always taken up some position of opposition towards the powerful. Circa 1300,
1853-407: Is clothed with a clinging garment of polished ivy which hides the wounds and stains of time. Even the top is not left bare, but is crowned with a flourishing group of trees & shrubs. Misfortune has done for this old tower what it has done for the human character sometimes – improved it. In the 20th century, Americans spread Heidelberg's reputation outside Europe. Thus, Japanese also often visit
1962-530: Is directly elected for a term of five years. The task of the council is to decide all the affairs of the city, with the mayor presiding. The council controls the city administration and oversees the enforcement of its decisions. Heidelberg has always been a stronghold of The Greens . For the municipal elections in 2009, they split into the Green Alternative List and Alliance 90/The Greens and each ran their own lists. Together they gained 10 seats to become
2071-653: Is first mentioned for that period in documents dated to 769 AD. Bergheim now lies in the middle of modern Heidelberg. The people gradually converted to Christianity. In 870 AD, the monastery of St. Michael was founded on the Heiligenberg inside the double rampart of the Celtic fortress. Around 1130, the Neuburg Monastery was founded in the Neckar valley. At the same time, the bishopric of Worms extended its influence into
2180-443: Is known about the founding of the lower castle is that it took place sometime between 1294 and 1303. The oldest documented references to Heidelberg Castle are found during the 1600s: All of these works are for the most part superficial and do not contain much information. In 1615, Merian 's Topographia Palatinatus Rheni described Prince Elector Ludwig V as he "started building a new castle one hundred and more years ago" . Most of
2289-683: Is part of the densely populated Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region which has its center in Mannheim . Heidelberg is located on the Neckar River , at the point where it leaves its narrow valley between the Oden Forest and the Little Oden Forest , and enters the wide Upper Rhine Plain . The old town lies in the valley, the end of which is flanked by the Königstuhl in the south and the Heiligenberg in
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#17330854623932398-629: Is said that his mother, Louise Juliana of Nassau proclaimed: "Oh, the Palatine is moving to Bohemia." After his escape to Rhenen in the Netherlands , Emperor Ferdinand II in 1621 put the imperial ban on Friedrich ( Prince Electors ). The Rhein Palatinate was transferred in 1623 to Duke Maximilian I of Bavaria , who also bought the Upper Palatinate from the emperor. In Rhenen, to the west of Arnhem ,
2507-465: Is the oldest existing public library in Germany. In 1537, the castle located higher up the mountain was destroyed by a gunpowder explosion. The duke's palace was built at the site of the lower castle. Elector Frederick III , sovereign of the Electoral Palatinate from 1559 to 1576, commissioned the composition of a new Catechism for his territory. While the catechism's introduction credits
2616-654: The Philosophenweg ( Philosophers' Walk ) on the opposite side of the Old Town, winegrowing was restarted in 2000. There is a wild population of African rose-ringed parakeets , and a wild population of Siberian swan geese , which can be seen mainly on the islands in the Neckar near the district of Bergheim. Heidelberg is a unitary authority within the Regierungsbezirk Karlsruhe . The Rhein-Neckar-Kreis rural district surrounds it and has its seat in
2725-628: The Kristallnacht on 9 November 1938, Nazis burned down synagogues at two locations in the city. The next day, they started the systematic deportation of Jews, sending 150 to Dachau concentration camp . On 22 October 1940, during the "Wagner Buerckel event", the Nazis deported 6000 local Jews, including 281 from Heidelberg, to Camp Gurs concentration camp in France. Within a few months, as many as 1000 of them (201 from Heidelberg) died of hunger and disease. Among
2834-606: The Battle of White Mountain on 8 November 1620, Frederick V was on the run as an outlaw and had to release his troops prematurely, leaving the Palatinate undefended against General Tilly , the supreme commander of the Imperial and Catholic League troops. On 26 August 1622, Tilly commenced his attack on Heidelberg, taking the town on 16 September, and the castle a few days later. When the Swedes captured Heidelberg on 5 May 1633 and opened fire on
2943-597: The European Molecular Biology Laboratory and four Max Planck Institutes . The city has also been a hub for the arts, especially literature, throughout the centuries, and it was designated a " City of Literature " by the UNESCO Creative Cities Network . Heidelberg was a seat of government of the former Electorate of the Palatinate and is a popular tourist destination due to its romantic cityscape, including Heidelberg Castle ,
3052-750: The Palatinate-Simmern branch of the Wittelbachs died out, Louis XIV laid claim to the Palatinate and started the War of the Grand Alliance , which laid waste to the Palatine. Liselotte, as she is affectionately known, was forced to look on helplessly as her country was ravaged in her name. Liselotte, granddaughter of Frederick V, was born in Heidelberg Castle and grew up at her aunt Sophia of Hanover 's court in Hanover. She often returned to Heidelberg with her father. At
3161-686: The Philosophers' Walk , and the Baroque old town. Heidelberg is located on the eastern edge of the Upper Rhine Plain ( German : Oberrheinebene ), at the place where the river Neckar leaves its narrow valley through the Odenwald mountains and begins the last leg of its journey across the plain towards Mannheim , where it merges into the Rhine about 20 kilometers downstream. A part of Heidelberg, including
3270-517: The Rhein-Neckar-Kreis . The Rhein-Neckar Triangle became a European metropolitan area in 2005. Heidelberg consists of 15 districts distributed in six sectors of the town. In the central area are Altstadt (the Old Town), Bergheim and Weststadt; in the north, Neuenheim and Handschuhsheim; in the east, Ziegelhausen and Schlierbach; in the south, Südstadt , Rohrbach, Emmertsgrund, and Boxberg; in
3379-496: The Treaty of Ryswick was signed, marking the end of the War of the Grand Alliance and finally bringing peace to the town. Plans were made to pull down the castle and to reuse parts of it for a new palace in the valley. When difficulties with this plan became apparent, the castle was patched up. At the same time, Charles III Philip, Elector Palatine played with the idea of completely redesigning
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3488-757: The "entire theological faculty here" (at the University of Heidelberg ) and "all the superintendents and prominent servants of the church" for the composition of the Catechism, Zacharius Ursinus is commonly regarded as the catechism's principal author. Caspar Olevianus (1536–1587) was formerly asserted as a co-author of the document, though this theory has been largely discarded by modern scholarship. Johann Sylvan , Adam Neuser , Johannes Willing, Thomas Erastus , Michael Diller, Johannes Brunner, Tilemann Mumius, Petrus Macheropoeus, Johannes Eisenmenger, Immanuel Tremellius , and Pierre Boquin are all likely to have contributed to
3597-479: The "ruin of the beautiful one" for the "beauty of the ruin." And from here to industrial "production of ruins" the way was clear: like garden gnomes one now sets ruins into the landscape, in order for the landscape to become beautiful . Also Günter Heinemann raises the question of whether one could restore the Heidelberg Castle incompletely. Near the view from the Stück-garden over the deer moat ( Hirschgraben ) of
3706-457: The 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of worship were built on the Heiligenberg , or "Holy Mountain". Both places can still be identified. In 40 AD, a fort was built and occupied by the 24th Roman cohort and the 2nd Cyrenaican cohort (CCG XXIIII and CCH II CYR). The late Roman Emperor Valentinian I , in 369 AD, built new and maintained older castra (permanent camps) and
3815-607: The Alps. The castle has only been partially rebuilt since its demolition in the 17th and 18th centuries. It is located 80 metres (260 ft) up the northern part of the Königstuhl hillside, and thereby dominates the view of the old downtown. It is served by an intermediate station on the Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular railway that runs from Heidelberg's Kornmarkt to the summit of the Königstuhl. The earliest castle structure
3924-598: The Atlantic. Storms ("Orkane") can create severe damage, and the Neckar is often affected by floods. According to the German Meteorological Service , Heidelberg was the warmest place in Germany in 2009. Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, " Heidelberg Man " died at nearby Mauer . His jaw bone was discovered in 1907. Scientific dating determined his remains as the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In
4033-415: The Catechism in some way. Frederick himself wrote the preface to the Catechism and closely oversaw its composition and publication. Frederick, who was officially Lutheran but had strong Reformed leanings, wanted to even out the religious situation of his highly Lutheran territory within the primarily Catholic Holy Roman Empire . The Council of Trent had just concluded with its conclusions and decrees against
4142-715: The Churches and Schools of the Electoral Palatinate .″ In November 1619, the Royal Crown of Bohemia was offered to the Elector, Frederick V . (He was married to Princess Elizabeth , eldest daughter of James VI and I of Scotland and England, respectively.) Frederick became known as the "Winter King", as he reigned for only one winter before the Imperial House of Habsburg regained Bohemia by force. His overthrow in 1621 marked
4251-586: The Emperor offered the crown of Bohemia to Frederick V, Elector Palatine who accepted despite misgivings and in doing so triggered the outbreak of the Thirty Years War . It was during the Thirty Years War that arms were raised against the castle for the first time. This period marks the end of the castle's construction; the centuries to follow brought with them destruction and rebuilding. After his defeat at
4360-672: The English colonies there. In 1720, after assigning a major church for exclusively Catholic use, religious conflicts with the mostly Protestant inhabitants of Heidelberg caused the Roman Catholic Prince-Elector Charles III Philip to transfer his court to nearby Mannheim . The court remained there until the Elector Charles Theodore became Elector of Bavaria in 1777 and established his court in Munich . In 1742, Elector Charles Theodore began rebuilding
4469-661: The Heidelberg Castle during their trips to Europe. Heidelberg has, at the beginning of the 21st century, more than three million visitors a year and about 1,000,000 overnight stays. Most of the foreign visitors come either from the USA or Japan. The most important attraction, according to surveys by the Geographical Institute of the University of Heidelberg, is the castle with its observation terraces. The Heidelberg professor Ludwig Giesz wrote, in his 1960 essay titled "Phenomenology of
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4578-557: The Heidelberg–Mannheim Autobahn (motorway), which connected to the Mannheim–Darmstadt–Frankfurt Autobahn, and the U.S. Army installations in Mannheim and Frankfurt . The intact rail infrastructure was more important in the late 1940s and early 1950s when most heavy loads were still carried by train, not by truck. Heidelberg had the untouched Wehrmacht barracks, the "Grossdeutschland Kaserne" which
4687-553: The Heidenloch (Heathens' Well). The first mention of a castle in Heidelberg (Latin: " castrum in Heidelberg cum burgo ipsius castri ") is in 1214, when Louis I, Duke of Bavaria of the House of Wittelsbach received it from Hohenstaufen Emperor Friedrich II . The last mention of a single castle is in 1294. In another document from 1303, two castles are mentioned for the first time: All that
4796-476: The Kitsches" , about the meaning of the ruins for tourism: Ruins are the pinnacle of what we have called "historical" Exoticism. As a jumping off point, a story from experience may serve: in 1945 shortly after the surrender of Germany, when asked by an American soldier who was eagerly "picture-taking" at the Heidelberg Castle how this place of pilgrimage for all Romantics came to be a ruin, I replied mischievously, "it
4905-459: The Palace. In 1764, a lightning bolt destroyed other palace buildings during reconstruction, causing the work to be discontinued. Heidelberg fell to the Grand Duchy of Baden in 1803. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden , re-founded the university, named "Ruperto-Carola" after its two founders. Notable scholars soon earned it a reputation as a "royal residence of the intellect". In the 18th century,
5014-612: The Palatinate Succession coupled with severe winters, thousands of German Calvinist Palatines emigrated in the early 18th century. They fled to other European cities and especially to London (where the refugees were called "the poor Palatines"). In sympathy for the Protestants, in 1709–1710, Queen Anne's government arranged transport for nearly 6,000 Palatines to New York. Others were transported to Pennsylvania , and to South Carolina . They worked their passage and later settled in
5123-458: The Palatinate and removed his court from Mannheim to Munich . Heidelberg Castle receded even further from his thoughts and the rooms which still had roofs were taken over by craftsmen. Even as early as 1767, the south wall was quarried for stone to build Schwetzingen Castle . In 1784, the vaults in the Ottoheinrich wing were filled in, and the castle used as a source of building materials. As
5232-523: The Palatinate-Baden rebellion of the 1848 Revolutions , Heidelberg was the headquarters of a revolutionary army. It was defeated by a Prussian army near Waghaeusel. The city was occupied by Prussian troops until 1850. Between 1920 and 1933, Heidelberg University became a center of notable physicians Czerny, Erb, and Krehl; and humanists Rohde, Weber, and Gandolf. During the Nazi period (1933–1945), Heidelberg
5341-578: The Protestant faiths, and the Peace of Augsburg had only granted toleration for Lutheranism within the empire where the ruler was Lutheran. One of the aims of the catechism was to counteract the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church as well as Anabaptists and "strict" Gnesio-Lutherans like Tilemann Heshusius and Matthias Flacius , who were resisting Frederick's Reformed influences, particularly on
5450-681: The Rhine (German: Pfalzgraf bei Rhein ). In 1195, the Electorate of the Palatinate passed to the House of Welf through marriage. In 1214, Ludwig I, Duke of Bavaria acquired the Palatinate, as a consequence of which the castle came under his control. By 1303, another castle had been constructed for defense. In 1356, the Counts Palatine were granted far-reaching rights in the Golden Bull , in addition to becoming Electors . In 1386, Heidelberg University
5559-422: The Romantics. Graimberg asked Thomas A. Leger to prepare the first castle guide. With his pictures of the castle, of which many copies were produced, Graimberg promoted the castle ruins and drew many tourists to the town. The question of whether the castle should be completely restored was discussed for a long time. In 1868, the poet Wolfgang Müller von Königswinter argued for a complete reconstruction, leading to
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#17330854623935668-446: The Swedish army had conquered Heidelberg, imperial forces attempted to recapture the city. They quickly took the city, but were unable to take the castle. As they prepared to blow up its fortifications with gunpowder the French army arrived, 30,000 men strong, led by Urbain de Maillé-Brézé , who had fought in many battles and participated in the Siege of La Rochelle (1627–1628), and Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de La Force . They broke
5777-457: The Thirty Years War, Gustav Adolfs Ruhmesblatt and finally the War of the Grand Alliance, the Turennes mission. All of these terrible events have blighted the castle. Three emperors, Louis the Bavarian, Adolf of Nassau, and Leopold of Austria, have laid siege to it; Pio II condemned it; Louis XIV wreaked havoc on it. After the death of Charles II, Elector Palatine , the last in line of the House of Palatinate-Simmern , Louis XIV of France demanded
5886-414: The US Army occupied soon after, renaming it the Campbell Barracks . In 1945, the university was reopened relatively quickly on the initiative of a small group of professors, among whom were the anti-Nazi economist Alfred Weber and the philosopher Karl Jaspers . The surgeon Karl Heinrich Bauer was nominated rector. On 9 December 1945, US Army General George S. Patton was involved in a car accident in
5995-406: The adjacent city of Mannheim and died in the Heidelberg US Army hospital on 21 December 1945. His funeral ceremony was held at the Heidelberg-Weststadt Christuskirche ( Christ Church ) , and he was buried in the 3rd Army cemetery in Luxembourg . During the post-war military occupation , the U.S. Army used the Thingstätte for cultural and religious events. Civilian use started in
6104-426: The allied European powers, France's war council decided to destroy all fortifications and to lay waste to the Palatinate ( Brûlez le Palatinat! ), in order to prevent an enemy attack from this area. As the French withdrew from the castle on 2 March 1689, they set fire to it and blew the front off the Fat Tower. Portions of the town were also burned, but the mercy of a French general, René de Froulay de Tessé , who told
6213-516: The average in Germany (usually mid February in the recent years). While the weather in spring is typically warm, it is also known to change far more often than in the summer. Summer starts typically in June and stays until September. In this time the weather is typically stable, with single thunderstorms marking the only precipitation. Day temperatures of around 30 °C are typical, but can reach up to 40 °C during heat waves. Autumn starts warm in September and cools down to typical winter temperatures for
6322-435: The beginning of the Thirty Years' War . In 1622, after a siege of two months , the armies of the Catholic League , commanded by Johann Tserclaes, Count of Tilly , captured the town. Tilly gave the famous Bibliotheca Palatina from the Church of the Holy Spirit to the Pope as a present. The Catholic and Bavarian House of Wittelsbach gained control over the Palatinate and the title of Prince-Elector. In late 1634, after
6431-425: The building of an enormous garden was tackled. However, the plants were intended for level ground, and the slope of the mountain had to be converted. First earth movements had to be achieved, which contemporaries regarded as the eighth wonder of the world. Under the rule of Frederick V, the Palatine sought Protestant supremacy in the Holy Roman Empire , which however ended in a debacle. After 1619, Frederick V—against
6540-424: The castle from the Königstuhl hill behind it, the commander of the Catholic League garrison handed over the castle. The following year, the emperor's troops tried to recapture the castle, but it was not until July 1635 that they succeeded. It remained in their possession until the Peace of Westphalia ending the Thirty Years War was signed. The new ruler, Charles Louis (Karl Ludwig) and his family did not move into
6649-442: The castle into a fortress. After Ruprecht's death in 1410, his land was divided between his four sons. The Palatinate, the heart of his territories, was given to the eldest son, Ludwig III . Ludwig was the representative of the emperor and the supreme judge, and it was in this capacity that he, after the Council of Constance in 1415 and at the behest of Emperor Sigismund , held the deposed Antipope John XXIII in custody before he
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#17330854623936758-418: The castle many times. He and his fellow Romantic painters were not interested in faithful portrayals of the building and gave artistic licence free rein. For example, Turner's paintings of the castle show it perched far higher up on the hill than it actually is. The saviour of the castle was the French count Charles de Graimberg . He fought the government of Baden, which viewed the castle as an "old ruin with
6867-416: The castle, but shelved the project due to lack of funds. He did, however, famously install Perkeo of Heidelberg , his favorite court jester, to watch over the castle's wine stock. Perkeo later became the unofficial mascot of the city. In 1720, Charles came into conflict with the town's Protestants as a result of fully handing over the Church of the Holy Spirit to the Catholics (it had previously been split by
6976-405: The city of Heidelberg, beginning in the west and in a clockwise direction: Edingen-Neckarhausen , Dossenheim , Schriesheim , Wilhelmsfeld , Schönau , Neckargemünd , Bammental , Gaiberg , Leimen , Sandhausen , Oftersheim , Plankstadt , Eppelheim (all part of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis ), and Mannheim . Heidelberg has an oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classification Cfb ), defined by
7085-401: The claim, in part because of religious differences between local Protestants and the French Catholics, as the Protestant Reformation had divided the peoples of Europe. The War of the Grand Alliance ensued. In 1689, French troops took the town and castle, bringing nearly total destruction to the area in 1693. As a result of the destruction due to repeated French invasions related to the War of
7194-468: The deportees from Heidelberg, the poet Alfred Mombert (1872–1942) left the concentration camp in April 1941 thanks to the Swiss poet Hans Reinhart but died shortly thereafter due to illness he contracted while held prisoner. From 1942, the deportees who had survived internment in Gurs were deported to Eastern Europe, where most of them were murdered. The U.S. 44th Infantry Division took part in combat in Western Europe throughout 1944 and early 1945, and
7303-493: The descriptions of the castle up until the 18th century are based on Merian's information. Under Ruprecht I , the court chapel was erected on the Jettenbühl. When Ruprecht became the King of Germany in 1401, the castle was so small that on his return from his coronation, he had to camp out in the Augustinians' monastery, on the site of today's University Square. What he desired was more space for his entourage and court and to impress his guests, but also additional defences to turn
7412-512: The division's artillery commander, Brigadier General William A. Beiderlinden , became the subject of international headlines in March 1945, when he helped save Heidelberg from bombing by persuading Nazi troops to withdraw. When his command was ordered to shell the city, Beiderlinden took the initiative to contact the burgomaster and attempt to persuade Nazi soldiers to abandon their positions. Though burgomasters were forbidden from conducting such talks, Heidelberg's burgomaster ignored warnings from
7521-400: The early to mid-1980s for occasional concerts and other cultural events. Today, the celebrations on Hexennacht ( German for 'Witches' Night'), also called Walpurgis Night , the night of 30 April, are a regular "underground" fixture at the Thingstätte . Thousands of mostly young people congregate there to drum, to breathe fire, and to juggle. The event has gained fame throughout
7630-487: The expressed advice of many counsellors—was chosen as the Bohemian king, he could not maintain the crown after he lost at the Battle of White Mountain (Bílá hora) (height 379m/1243 ft) against the troops of the Emperor and the Catholic League . He was mocked as the "Winter King" since his kingdom had lasted only somewhat more than one winter. With the Thirty Years War , Frederick V entered another phase of his career: political refugee. As Frederick V left Heidelberg, it
7739-406: The family lived on saved public funds and the generous support of the English king, initially also of the Netherlands, united by the support of the government. For the remainder of his life, Frederick hoped to win back his position in the Palatinate, but he died in exile in 1632. Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was the duchess of Orléans and the sister-in-law of Louis XIV of France. When
7848-401: The first time in 1946. It is a city with an international population, including one of the largest American communities outside North America, but this is not analysed in the Heidelberg population statistics. At the end of December 2011, the city had 149,633 inhabitants with an official primary residence in Heidelberg (not including the soldiers and employees of the U.S. Army and their dependents,
7957-454: The government of Baden's intention to pull down the ruins. At the beginning of the nineteenth century, the ruined castle had become a symbol for the patriotic movement against Napoleon . Even before 1800, artists had come to see the river, the hills and the ruins of the castle as an ideal ensemble. The best depictions are those of England's J. M. W. Turner , who stayed in Heidelberg several times between 1817 and 1844, and painted Heidelberg and
8066-506: The historical old town and the famous Heidelberg Castle , is located in the narrow Neckar valley. Other parts (mostly quarters from around the 19th century or newer, or originally independent, later incorporated villages) sprawl out into the Rhine Plain and along the Bergstraße ( lit. ' mountain road ' ), the narrow strip of characteristic landscape along the sharp border between
8175-473: The huge Thingstätte amphitheatre on the Heiligenberg north of the town, for Nazi Party and SS events. A few months later, the inauguration of the huge Ehrenfriedhof memorial cemetery completed the second and last NSDAP project in Heidelberg. This cemetery is on the southern side of the old part of town, a little south of the Königstuhl hilltop, and faces west towards France. During World War II and after, Wehrmacht soldiers were buried there. During
8284-455: The local Nazi gauleiter and discussed the matter with Beiderlinden. The negotiations focused on the importance of sparing Heidelberg University and other historic and culturally significant sites. Beiderlinden and the burgomaster agreed to terms, and the Nazis spared the city by evacuating. On 29 March 1945, German troops left the city after destroying three arches of the old bridge, Heidelberg's treasured river crossing. They also destroyed
8393-618: The matter of Eucharist ( the Lord's Supper ). The Catechism-based each of its statements on biblical proof-texts , and Frederick himself would defend it as biblical, not reformed, at the 1566 Diet of Augsburg when he was called to answer to charges of violating the Peace of Augsburg. This was the Heidelberg Catechism , officially called the ″Catechism, or Christian Instruction, according to the Usages of
8502-417: The more modern bridge downstream. The U.S. Army ( 63rd Infantry , 7th Army) entered the town on 30 March 1945. The civilian population surrendered without resistance. Heidelberg, unlike most German cities and towns, was spared from Allied bombing raids during the war. A popular belief is that Heidelberg escaped bombing because the U.S. Army wanted to use the city as a garrison after the war, but, as Heidelberg
8611-479: The north. The majority of the population lives in the districts west of the mountains in the Upper Rhine Plain, into which the city has expanded over time. Heidelberg University , founded in 1386, is Germany's oldest and one of Europe's most reputable universities. Heidelberg is a scientific hub in Germany and home to several internationally renowned research facilities adjacent to its university, including
8720-449: The old-fashioned hill-top castle into a Baroque palace would have been difficult and costly. By moving down into the plain, the prince-elector was able to construct a new palace, Mannheim Palace , that met his every wish. Karl Phillip's successor Karl Theodor planned to move his court back to Heidelberg Castle. However, on 24 June 1764, lightning struck the Saalbau (court building) twice in
8829-542: The plain and the Odenwald mountains. The town is bordered by the Königstuhl (568 m), the Gaisberg (375 m), and the Heiligenberg (445 m) mountains. Heidelberg is on European walking route E1 (Sweden- Umbria ). Heidelberg is among the warmest regions of Germany, and plants atypical of the central-European climate flourish there, including almond and fig trees , and many kinds of palm trees and olive trees . Alongside
8938-533: The pompadour style); on this day, then, with the prince's furnishings already arrived and waiting in the Church of the Holy Spirit, fire from heaven hit the octagonal tower, set light to the roof, and destroyed this five-hundred-year-old castle in very few hours. In the following decades, basic repairs were made, but Heidelberg Castle remained essentially a ruin. In 1777, Karl Theodor became ruler of Bavaria in addition to
9047-514: The protected valley between the Pfälzerwald and the Odenwald. The almost year round warm temperatures are usually determined by Atlantic air masses in the winter and increased influence from the western Mediterranean in summer. In contrast to the nearby Upper Rhine Plain , Heidelberg's position in the valley leads to more frequent easterly winds than average. The hillsides of the Odenwald favor clouding and precipitation. Spring starts earlier than
9156-433: The region by the end of November. Precipitation levels begin to increase and, due to the decreasing sunlight, the region is affected by fog more frequently from the second part of October onwards. Winters are mostly mild, though light nighttime frosts do occur in the coldest months. Snow is a rare event, and precipitation normally falls as rain. Winters are the wettest time of the year, with frequent western winds blowing from
9265-485: The region, as well as a certain notoriety due to the amount of litter left behind. Officially, this event is forbidden due to security concerns. The City declares it will fence the Thingstätte and prosecute any trespassers. In 2022, a mass shooting occurred in the university , killing a woman and injuring three other people. The gunman then committed suicide. The population of the city of Heidelberg exceeded 100,000 for
9374-426: The ruined castle until 7 October 1649. Victor Hugo summarized these and the following events: In 1619, Frederick V, then a young man, seized the crown of the kings of Bohemia, against the will of the emperor, and in 1687, Philip William, Count Palatine, by then an old man, assumes the title of prince-elector, against the will of the king of France. This was to cause Heidelberg battles and never-ending tribuluations,
9483-546: The ruins: The important culture and era critic Günther Anders pointed out that—contrary to widespread opinion—the Romantic Era did not first admire the view for the "beauty of the ruin." Rather the following inversion took place: the Renaissance (like the first generation) admired the ancient Torso, "not because, but although it was a Torso". One found beauty, but "unfortunately" (!) only as ruin. The second generation inverted
9592-494: The siege and drove off the Imperial forces. In 1648, at the end of the war, Frederick V's son Charles I Louis, Elector Palatine , was able to recover his titles and lands. To strengthen his dynasty, Charles I Louis arranged the marriage of his daughter Liselotte to Philip I, Duke of Orléans , brother of Louis XIV , King of France. In 1685, after the death of Charles Louis' son, Elector Charles II , King Louis XIV laid claim to his sister-in-law's inheritance. The Germans rejected
9701-594: The site of their main dwelling." Prior to 1843 the population was determined by non-uniform collection procedures. Heidelberg has currently a population of about 160,000 and is the 5th largest city in Baden-Württemberg . About 37,000 (24% of the population) are students, which makes Heidelberg one of the largest university city in Germany. Heidelberg's population has grown since 1945 (after the WWII) and has almost never declined due to its popularity of this city where many workers, students and entrepreneurs moved to Heidelberg. With
9810-420: The sound condition of the castle that have been handed down permitted this. But it would take the unique phenomenon to Heidelberg that the castle in its ruinous condition has to register a considerable profit at aesthetic values. A rebuilt castle would equal a disenchantment, would be certification of an inadequate displacement process of history opposite, and granted to participating nature no more clearance. Which
9919-613: The southwest, Kirchheim ; in the west, Pfaffengrund, Wieblingen, and a new district, named Bahnstadt , is built on land in Weststadt and Wieblingen. The new district will have approximately 5,000–6,000 residents and employment for 7,000. Further, new residential space for 10,000–15,000 residents was made available in Patrick Henry Village following the departure of the US Armed Forces. The following towns and communes border
10028-536: The strongest force for the first time. In September 2011, two members of the GAL Group joined the Alliance 90/The Greens, so that together with the members of generation.hd, they formed the largest group in the council. Heidelberg Castle Heidelberg Castle (German: Heidelberger Schloss ) is a ruin in Germany and landmark of Heidelberg . The castle ruins are among the most important Renaissance structures north of
10137-623: The surrender of the allodial title in favor of the Duchess of Orléans, Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine who he claimed was the rightful heir to the Simmern lands. On 29 September 1688, the French troops marched into the Palatinate of the Rhine and on 24 October moved into Heidelberg, which had been deserted by Philipp Wilhelm , the new Elector Palatine from the line of Palatinate-Neuburg . At war against
10246-548: The time of its founding, it starts with a Thebes analogy ; in Count Rudolf and Emperor Ludwig, these degenerate brothers, it has its Eteocles and its Polynices [warring sons of Oedipus ]. Then the prince elector begins to grow in power. In 1400 the Palatine Ruprecht II, supported by three Rhenish prince electors, deposes Emperor Wenceslaus and usurps his position; 120 years later in 1519, Count Palatine Frederick II
10355-631: The town was rebuilt in the Baroque style on the old medieval layout. In 1810 the French Revolution refugee Count Charles Graimberg began to preserve the palace ruins and establish a historical collection. In 1815, the Emperor of Austria , the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia formed the " Holy Alliance " in Heidelberg. In 1848, the German National Assembly was held there. In 1849, during
10464-436: The town's gates and took it on 22 May. However, they did not attain control of the castle and destroyed the town in attempt to weaken the castle's main support base. The castle's occupants capitulated the next day. Now the French took the opportunity to finish off the work started in 1689, after their hurried exit from the town. The towers and walls that had survived the last wave of destruction, were blown up with mines. In 1697
10573-637: The town, although the town is not a part of the district. Heidelberg is a part of the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region, often referred to as the Rhein-Neckar Triangle . This region consists of the southern part of the State of Hessen , the southern part of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate ( Vorderpfalz ), the administrative districts of Mannheim and Heidelberg, and the municipalities of
10682-425: The townspeople to set small fires in their homes to create smoke and the illusion of widespread burning, prevented wider destruction. Immediately upon his accession in 1690, Johann Wilhelm, Elector Palatine had the walls and towers rebuilt. When the French again reached the gates of Heidelberg in 1691 and 1692, the town's defenses were so good that they did not gain entry. On 18 May 1693 the French were yet again at
10791-494: The understanding at realization clarity would win, would be lost to the mind at turn depth. Timeline of events for Heidelberg Castle: Frederick V, Elector Palatine married the English king's daughter Elizabeth Stuart . The marriage involved great expense. Expensive festivities were organized and for them; he commissioned the Elizabeth gate at the piece garden be built. From October 1612 until April 1613, Frederick V spent nearly
10900-472: The valley, founding Schönau Abbey in 1142. Modern Heidelberg can trace its roots to this 12th-century monastery. The first reference to Heidelberg can be found in a document in Schönau Abbey dated to 1196. This is considered to be the town's founding date. In 1156, Heidelberg castle and its neighboring settlement were taken over by the house of Hohenstaufen . Conrad of Hohenstaufen became Count Palatine of
11009-415: The well-kept ruins of the castle interior, he asks himself whether one should not redevelop the whole area again. Automatically one thinks, who would dedicate oneself to the devoted care of these enormous walls, were they to be constructed again. As to expenditure that does not make much difference, but how would it be arranged! It would require seeds of its historical imaginings, as far as extant pictures of
11118-665: Was a stronghold of the NSDAP /Nazi party (the National Socialist German Workers' Party), the strongest party in the elections before 1933 (the NSDAP obtained 30% at the communal elections of 1930 ). The NSDAP received 45.9% of the votes in the German federal election of March 1933 (the national average was 43.9%). In 1934 and 1935 the Reichsarbeitsdienst ( State Labor Service ) and Heidelberg University students built
11227-398: Was built before 1214 and later expanded into two castles circa 1294; however, in 1537, a lightning bolt destroyed the upper castle. The present structures had been expanded by 1650, before damage by later wars and fires. In 1764, another lightning bolt caused a fire which destroyed some rebuilt sections. Heidelberg was first mentioned in 1196 as "Heidelberch". In 1155 Conrad of Hohenstaufen
11336-441: Was destroyed by American bombs." The reaction of the soldiers was very instructive. I will speculate briefly: the shock to their consciousness—stemming from an aesthetic, not an ethical problem—was extraordinary: the "ruin" no longer appeared beautiful to them; on the contrary, they regretted (thus: with realistic present consciousness) the recent destruction of a large building. Professor Ludwig Giesz goes further in his remarks about
11445-624: Was founded by Rupert I, Elector Palatine . Heidelberg University played a leading part in Medieval Scholasticism , Renaissance humanism , the German Reformation , and in the subsequent conflict between Lutheranism and Calvinism during the 15th and 16th centuries. In April 1518, a few months after proclaiming his Ninety-five Theses , Martin Luther was received in Heidelberg, to defend them. Heidelberg's library, founded in 1421,
11554-573: Was made the Count Palatine by his half-brother Frederick Barbarossa , and the region became known as the Electoral Palatinate . The claim that Conrad's main residence was on the Schlossberg (Castle Hill), known as the Jettenbühl, cannot be substantiated. The name "Jettenbühl" comes from the soothsayer Jetta, who was said to have lived there. She is also associated with Wolfsbrunnen (Wolf's Spring) and
11663-417: Was neither an industrial center nor a transport hub, it did not present a tactical or strategic target. Other notable university towns, such as Tübingen and Göttingen , were spared bombing as well. Allied air raids focused extensively on the nearby industrial cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen . The U.S. Army may have chosen Heidelberg as a garrison base because of its excellent infrastructure, including
11772-504: Was taken to Burg Eichelsheim (today Mannheim-Lindenhof). On a visit to Heidelberg in 1838, the French author Victor Hugo took particular pleasure in strolling among the ruins of the castle. He summarised its history in this letter: But let me talk of its castle. (This is absolutely essential, and I should actually have begun with it.) What times it has been through! Five hundred years long it has been victim to everything that has shaken Europe, and now it has collapsed under its weight. That
11881-551: Was to create the young King Charles I of Spain Emperor Charles V . It was during the reign of Louis V, Elector Palatine (1508–1544) that Martin Luther came to Heidelberg to defend one of his theses ( Heidelberg Disputation ) and paid a visit to the castle. He was shown around by Louis's younger brother, Wolfgang, Count Palatine , and in a letter to his friend George Spalatin praises the castle's beauty and its defenses. In 1619, Bohemian Protestant estates rebelling against
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