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Wiesbaden is a city in central Germany. It is the capital of the
Bundesland Hesse.
Wiesbaden is situated on the right bank of the Rhine, facing the city of Mainz on the opposite side of the river. Wiesbaden has about 270,000 inhabitants (Dec 31,
2002).
History
Vestiges of first settlements date back to the neolithic era.
Continuous occupancy began with the erection of a Roman fort in the year
6 A.D. The thermal springs of Wiesbaden were first mentioned in Pliny the Younger's Naturalis historia. The Roman settlement is first mentioned by the
name Aquae Mattiacorum in 121 AD. This name refers to the Chattian tribe of the Mattiaker who were living in this area.
The Alamanni captured the fort in the year 259/260. Later, in the 370s, when the Romans
and Alamanni were allied, the Alamanni gained control of the Wiesbaden area and were in charge of its defense against other
Germanic tribes.
During the 6th century the Franks displaced the Alamanni. In the 8th century the Franks
built a royal yard (Königshof, curtis regia). Somewhere between 828 and
830, Einhard mentions wisabada. This was
the first time that the name Wiesbaden is used.
In the 1170s the Dukes of Nassau received the area around Wiesbaden as fiefdom. They
governed until in 1242 the archbishop of
Mainz conquered Wiesbaden and burnt it down. Wiesbaden returned to the house of Nassau in 1270. In 1329 the house of Nassau and thereby Wiesbaden received the right of
coinage from Louis the Bavarian.
Due to its participation in the uprisings of the Peasant's War Wiesbaden lost all its privileges in 1525 for over
forty years. During this time, Wiesbaden built a new vineyard in 1526, became Protestant with the nomination of Wolf Denthener as first Lutheran pastor on January 1, 1543. The same day the
first Latin school was opened,
preparing pupils for the gymnasium in Idstein. 1566
the privileges of the city were restored.
The oldest still existing building of the town, the Old City Hall, was built from 1609-1610. No older buildings are preserved due to two fires in 1547 and 1561.
In 1815 the capital of Nassau was moved to Wiesbaden, and the city became the ducal
residence. Building activity started in order to give the city a magnificent look. The historical centre of Wiesbaden dates
largely back to this time. In the Austro-Prussian War of
1866 Nassau decided to take Austria's side.
This decision led to the end of the duchy: After the Austrian defeat Nassau was annexed by Prussia and became part of the Prussian province of Hesse-Nassau.
After World War II the state of Hesse was established, and Wiesbaden
became its capital.
Thermal Springs and Spa
Wiesbaden is famous for its thermal springs and spa. The thermal springs were first utilised by the Romans. The bathing
business became important for Wiesbaden near the end of the Middle Ages. In
1370, 16 bath houses were in operation. In 1800, there were 2,239 inhabitants and 23 bath
houses. Famous people visited spas in Wiesbaden, among them Goethe in 1814, when there were 4,200 inhabitants and
6,300 visitors, as well as Fyodor Dostoevsky, Richard Wagner, and Johannes Brahms. In 1900 there were 86,100 inhabitants and 126,000
visitors. In those years there were more millionaires living in Wiesbaden than in any other city in Germany.
Twinning
Wiesbaden is twinned with:
- Fondettes, France
- Ghent, Belgium
- Kefar Sava, Israel
- Klagenfurt, Austria
- Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Montreux, Switzerland
- Ocotal, Nicaragua
- San Sebastian, Spain
- Tunbridge Wells, UK
- Wroclaw, Poland
Sights
The Schlossplatz ("Palace Square") is situated in the centre of the city. There are two outstanding buildings around
this square: the ducal palace and the new town hall. The palace was built by duke Wilhelm of Nassau in 1840. For the 26 remaining years of ducal authority it was the residence of the ruling family. Today the
building serves as Landtag (parliament) for the federal state of Hesse. The New Town Hall replaced the old one in 1887.
(The Old Town Hall, built in 1610, is the oldest preserved building of the city and is nowadays used as a civil registry office.)
Engraved in the paving in front of the town hall there are the heraldic eagle of the Holy Roman Empire, the lion of Nassau and the lilies of Wiesbaden.
The Protestant Marktkirche ("Market Church") was built from 1852 to 1862 in a neo-Gothic style. Its western steeple is 92 m in height, being the highest building of the city.
Another building from the regency of duke Wilhelm is the Luisenplatz, a square named for the first wife of duke Wilhelm.
It is surrounded by Neoclassicist buildings, and in the middle there is
the Waterloo Obelisk, commemorating the Nassauers who died in the wars
against Napoleon.
The monumental Kurhaus ("spa house") (now containing a casino) and the Hessian state theatre are from the time of
emperor Wilhelm II.
Apart from the palace in the centre the ducal family had a huge palace on the banks of the Rhine, known as Schloss
Biebrich. This baroque building was erected in the first half of the 18th
century.
North of the city there is the Neroberg. From the top of this hill it is possible to get a panorama of the city. A funicular connects the city with the hill.
Miscellaneous
Amongst the famous people born in Wiesbaden are American tennis star John McEnroe (who was born on
a U.S. military base at Wiesbaden) and German film director Volker Schlöndorff.
Mainz, which is on the opposite side of the Rhine river, is Wiesbaden's arch rival - both cities are the capital of their respective Bundesland and citizens of both cities jokingly refer to citizens of the
other one as "living on the wrong side of the river".
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