Coordinates	20°34′00″N103°40′35″N
Art	Stadt
Image photo	Heidelberg_corr.jpg
Wappen	Wappen Heidelberg.svg
Lat deg	49 |lat_min 24 |lat_sec 44
Lon deg	08 |lon_min 42 |lon_sec 36
Bundesland	Baden-Württemberg
Regierungsbezirk	Karlsruhe
Landkreis	Stadtkreis
Höhe	114
Fläche	108.83
Einwohner	145642
Stand	2008-12-31
Plz	69115–69126
Gemeindeschlüssel	08 2 21 000
Vorwahl	06221
Kfz	HD
Adresse	Marktplatz 10 69117 Heidelberg
Website	heidelberg.de
Bürgermeister	Dr. Eckart Würzner
Bürgermeistertitel	Oberbürgermeister
Partei	Parteilos }}

Heidelberg is a German city situated in the south-west of the country. The fifth largest city of the German State of Baden-Württemberg after Stuttgart, Mannheim, Karlsruhe and Freiburg im Breisgau, Heidelberg is part of a densely populated region known as the Rhine-Neckar Metropolitan Region. As of 2009, over 145,000 people live within the city's area. Heidelberg lies on the River Neckar in a steep valley in the Odenwald.

Heidelberg — having been a former residence of the Electoral Palatinate in the past — is the seat of the University of Heidelberg, which is well-known far beyond its and Germany's borders. Heidelberg is also a popular tourist destination due to its romantic and picturesque cityscape's character, including the Heidelberg Castle and the baroque style Old Town. The US Army has had a military base in Heidelberg since 1951.

Geography

Heidelberg is partly situated in the Rhine Rift Valley, mainly on the left bank of the lower part of the River Neckar. Being located in a bottom of a valley, it is bordered by the mountain Königsstuhl (568 m) and the mountain Gaisberg (375 m). The River Neckar flows here in an east-west direction. On the right bank of the river, the mountain Heiligenberg (445 m) rises. The River Neckar leads to the River Rhine approximately 22 kilometres north-westerly in Mannheim, measured from the end of the bottom of the valley. The villages incorporated during the 20th century reach from the Neckar Valley through the Bergstraße, a street situated alongside the hillside of the Odenwald.

Moreover Heidelberg touches the European walking route E1 (Sweden-Umbria).

Flora and fauna

Since Heidelberg is among the warmest regions of Germany, some plants atypical to the central-European climate flourish there, including almond and fig trees; there is also an olive tree situated in the ''Gaisbergstraße''. Alongside the ''Philosophenweg'' (Philosophers' Walk) on the opposite side of the Old Town, winegrowing was restarted in 2000.

Furthermore, there exists a wild population of African rose-ringed parakeets, as well as a wild population of the Siberian swan geese, which can be mainly seen on the islands in the River Neckar near Bergheim, a district of Heidelberg.

Administrative structures

Heidelberg is a unitary authority within the Regierungsbezirk Karlsruhe. The Rhein-Neckar-Kreis rural district surrounds it, and has its seat in the city, although the city 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 German State of Hessia, the southern part of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Vorderpfalz), the administrative districts of Mannheim and Heidelberg, as well as the southern municipalities of the Rhein-Neckar-Kreis. The Rhein-Neckar Triangle became a European metropolitan area in 2005.

Heidelberg consists of fourteen districts distributed in six sectors of the city. In the central area of the city, there are Altstadt (the Old Town), Bergheim, and Weststadt. In the northern part of Heidelberg, there are Neuenheim and Handschuhsheim. In the east, there are Ziegelhausen and Schlierbach, whereas in the south, there are Südstadt, Rohrbach, Emmertsgrund, and Boxberg. In the southwest, there is Kirchheim. In the west, there are Pfaffengrund and Wieblingen. A new city district, tentatively named ''Bahnstadt'', is planned on land located within Weststadt and Wieblingen. The new district will have approximately 5,000-6,000 residents and employment for 7,000.

Neighbouring communes

The following cities and communes border the city of Heidelberg, beginning in the west and then going on in 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.

Climate

Heidelberg experiences an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification ''Cfb''). The climate of the region is coined by the protected valley between the Pfälzerwald and the Odenwald. Year-round there are mild temperatures that are determined by maritime air masses coming from the west. In comparison to the nearby Upper Rhine Plain, Heidelberg's position in the valley leads to a high number of east-wings being above-average. The hillsides of the Odenwald favour clouding and precipitation. The warmest month is July, the coldest is January. Temperatures rising to more than 30°C in the midsummer are no rarity. According to the studies of the German Meteorological Service, Heidelberg was the warmest place in Germany in 2009.

History

Early history

Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, the "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of worship were built on the ''Heiligenberg'', or "Mountain of Saints". 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 Romans built and maintained ''castra'' (permanent camps) and a signalling 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 that developed. The Romans remained until 260 AD, when the camp was conquered by German tribes.

Middle Ages

Modern Heidelberg can trace its beginnings to the fifth century. The village ''Bergheim'' (Mountain Home) is first mentioned in that period, in documents dated to 769 AD. ''Bergheim'' now lies in the middle of modern Heidelberg. The people gradually converted to Christianity. In 863 AD, the monastery of St. Michael was founded on the ''Heiligenberg'' inside the double rampart of the Celtic fortress. Around 1130, the Neuberg Monastery was founded in the Neckar valley. At the same time, the bishopric of Worms extended its influence into 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 the founding date for Heidelberg. In 1155, Heidelberg castle and its neighboring settlement were taken over by the house of Hohenstaufen. Conrad of Hohenstaufen became Count Palatine of the Rhine (). In 1195, the Palatinate passed to the House of Welf through marriage. left|thumb|The Heidelberg Castle, here shown in a painting by Carl Blechen, was destroyed by the French during the war of succession of the Electoral Palatinateleft|thumb|View of castle from the marketplace In 1225, Louis I, Duke of Bavaria obtained the Palatinate, and thus 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, the University of Heidelberg was founded by Rupert I, Elector Palatine.

Modern history

The University of Heidelberg played a leading part in the era of humanism and reformation and the conflict between Lutheranism and Calvinism in the 15th and 16th centuries. Heidelberg's library, founded in 1421, is the oldest public library in Germany still intact. A few months after the proclamation of the 95 Theses, in April 1518, Martin Luther was received in Heidelberg, to defend them. In 1537, the castle located further up the mountain was destroyed in a gunpowder explosion. The duke's palace was built at the site of the lower castle. thumb|The siege of Heidelberg 1622 In November 1619, the royal crown of Bohemia was offered to the Elector, Frederick V. (He was married to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James I and VI of England and Scotland). He became known as the "winter king", as he reigned for only one winter before the Imperial House of Habsburg regained the crown by force. This overthrow in 1621 marked 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 Heidelberg. He gave the famous ''Bibliotheca Palatina'' from the Church of the Holy Spirit to the Pope as a present. The Catholic Bavarian branch of the House of Wittelsbach gained control over the Palatinate and the title of Prince-Elector. 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, Frederick arranged the marriage of his daughter Liselotte to Philip I, Duke of Orléans, the brother of Louis XIV, king of France. In 1685, after the death of Charles Louis' son Elector Charles II, Louis XIV laid claim to his sister-in-law's inheritance. The Germans rejected 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 city and castle, bringing nearly total destruction to the area in 1693. As a result of destruction due to repeated French invasions related to the war of the palatinate succession coupled with severe winters, thousands of Protestant German Palatines emigrated from the lower Palatinate in the early 18th century. They fled to other European cities (where the refugees were called "the poor Palatines") and especially to London. 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. They worked off their passage and later settled in the English colonies.

In 1720, religious conflicts with the mostly Protestant citizens of Heidelberg after he assigned a major church for exclusively Catholic use caused the Roman Catholic Prince-Elector Charles III Philip to transfer his residence 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 the Palace. In 1764, a lightning bolt destroyed other palace buildings during reconstruction, causing the work to be discontinued.

1803 to 1933

Heidelberg fell to the Grand Duchy of Baden in the year 1803. Charles Frederick, Grand Duke of Baden refounded 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, the city was rebuilt in Baroque style on the old Gothic layout.

In 1810, the French revolution-emigrant 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 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, the University of Heidelberg became the center of notable physicians: Czerny, Erb, and Krehl; and humanists: Rohde, Weber, and Gundolf.

Nazism and the war period

During the Nazi regime (1933–1945), Heidelberg was a stronghold of the NSDAP, the strongest party in the elections before 1933 (the NSDAP obtained 30% at the communal elections of 1930). The NSDAP received approximately 45.9% of the votes in the German federal election of March 1933 (the national average was 43.9%). Non-Aryan university staff were discriminated against. By 1939, one-third of the university's staff had been forced out due to racial and political reasons. The non-Aryan professors were sent off in 1933, within one month of Hitler's rise to power. The lists were prepared beforehand.

Between 1934 and 1935, the Reichsarbeitsdienst (State labor service) and University of Heidelberg students built a huge amphitheatre, called ''Thingstätte'', located on the ''Heiligenberg'' north of the old part of Heidelberg for Nazi (NSDAP) and SS events. A few months later, the inauguration of a huge memorial cemetery (Ehrenfriedhof) completed the second and last NSDAP project in Heidelberg. This cemetery is located on the southern side of the old part of town, a little south of the Königstuhl hilltop. During WWII and after, Wehrmacht soldiers were buried there.

During the ''Kristallnacht'' on 9 November 1938, Nazis burned down synagogues at two locations in the city. The next day, they started systematic deportation of Jews, and sent 150 Jews to the Dachau concentration camp. On 22 October 1940, during the "Wagner Buerckel event", the Nazis deported 6000 local Jews, including 281 from Heidelberg, to a concentration camp in France, Camp Gurs. Within a few months, as many as 1000 of them (201 from Heidelberg) died of hunger and diseases. Among the deportees from Heidelberg, the poet Alfred Mombert (1872–1942) could exit the camp in April 1941 thanks to the Swiss poet Hans Reinhart. From 1942, the deportees that had survived the internment in Gurs where deported to Eastern Europe, where most of them were murdered.

On 29 March 1945, the Wehrmacht left the city after destroying three arches of the old bridge, Heidelberg's treasured river crossing. They also destroyed the more modern bridge downstream. The U.S. Army forces (3rd Infantry, 7th Army) entered Heidelberg on 30 March 1945. The civilian population surrendered Heidelberg without resistance.

Some historians suggested Heidelberg escaped bombing in WWII because the U.S. Army wanted to use the city as a garrison after the war. As Heidelberg was neither an industrial center nor a transport hub, it did not present a target of opportunity. Other notable university towns, such as Tübingen and Göttingen, were spared from bombing as well. Allied air raids focused extensively on the nearby industrial cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen.

The U.S. Army likely chose Heidelberg as a garrison base due to its excellent infrastructure; including the Autobahn (freeway) Heidelberg-Mannheim, which connected to the Autobahn Mannheim-Darmstadt-Frankfurt, and the U.S. Army installations in Mannheim and Frankfurt. The intact railroad infrastructure was more important in the late 1940s and early 1950s, when most heavy loads were still shuttled by train, not by truck. Additionally, Heidelberg had the untouched "Grossdeutschland Kaserne" Wehrmacht installation. The US Army used it as the Campbell Barracks soon after.

History after 1945

In 1945, the University was reopened relatively quickly as a result of 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 had a car accident in the adjacent city of Mannheim, and died in the Heidelberg US Army hospital on 21 December 1945. The funeral ceremony was held at the Heidelberg-Weststadt ''Christuskirche'' (Christ Church), and he was later buried at the 3rd Army cemetery in Luxembourg.

During the post-war military occupation, the U.S. Army used the ''Thingsstätte'' for cultural and religious events. Civilian use started in the early-to-mid 1980s for occasional concerts and other cultural events. Today, the celebrations on ''Hexennacht'' (Witches' Night, also called Walpurgis Night), the night of 30 April, are a regular "underground" fixture at the ''Thingstätte''. Thousands of mostly young people spontaneously congregate there to drum, to breathe fire, and to juggle. The event has gained fame throughout the region, as well as a certain notoriety due to the amount of trash left behind.

Cityscape

The old town

The "old town" (), located at the southern side of the Neckar, is long and narrow. It is dominated by the ruins of the Heidelberg Castle, 80 metres above the Neckar on the steep, wooded side of the Königstuhl () hill.

The Main Street (''Hauptstrasse''), a mile-long pedestrian street, runs the length of the old town.

The old stone bridge was erected 1786-1788. A medieval bridge gate is on the side of the old town, and was originally part of the town wall. Baroque tower helmets were added as part of the erection of the stone bridge in 1788.

The Church of the Holy Spirit (''Heiliggeistkirche''), a late Gothic church in the marketplace of the old town.

The Karls‘ gate (''Karlstor'') is a triumphal arch in honour of the Prince Elector Karl Theodor, located at Heidelberg's east side. It was built 1775-1781 and designed by Nicolas de Pigage.

The house ''Zum Ritter Sankt Georg'' (Knight St. George) is one of the few buildings to survive the War of Succession. Standing across from the Church of the Holy Spirit, it was built in the style of the late Renaissance. It is named after the sculpture at the top.

The ''Marstall'' (Stables), a 16th-century building on the Neckar that has served several purposes through its history. It is now a cafeteria for the university.

Heidelberg Castle

The castle is a mix of styles from Gothic to Renaissance. Prince Elector Ruprecht III (1398–1410) erected the first building in the inner courtyard as a royal residence. The building was divided into a ground floor made of stone and framework upper levels. Another royal building is located opposite the Ruprecht Building: the Fountain Hall. Prince Elector Philipp (1476–1508) is said to have arranged the transfer of the hall's columns from a decayed palace of Charlemagne from Ingelheim to Heidelberg.

In the 16th and 17th centuries, the Prince Electors added two palace buildings and turned the fortress into a castle. The two dominant buildings at the eastern and northern side of the courtyard were erected during the rule of Ottheinrich (1556–1559) and Friedrich IV (1583–1610). Under Friedrich V (1613–1619), the main building of the west side was erected, the so called "English Building".

The castle and its garden were destroyed several times during the 30 Years' War and the Palatine War of Succession. As Prince Elector Karl Theodor tried to restore the castle, lightning struck in 1764, and ended all attempts at rebuilding. Later on, the castle was misused as a quarry; castle stones were taken to build new houses in Heidelberg. This was stopped in 1800 by Count Charles de Graimberg, who then began the preservation of the Heidelberg Castle.

Although the interior is in Gothic style, the King's Hall was not built until 1934. Today, the hall is used for festivities, e.g. dinner banquets, balls and theatre performances. During the Heidelberg Castle Festival in the summer, the courtyard is the site of open air musicals, operas, theatre performances, and classical concerts performed by the Heidelberg Philharmonics.

The castle is surrounded by a park, where the famous poet Johann von Goethe once walked. The Heidelberger Bergbahn funicular railway runs from Heidelberg's Kornmakt to the summit of the Königstuhl via the castle.

[[File:View on the old Heidelberg.jpg|thumb|700px|center|View from the so-called "Philosophers' Walk" () towards the Old Town, with Heidelberg Castle, Heiliggeist Church and the Old Bridge.]]

Philosophers' Walk

On the northern side of the Neckar is located the Heiligenberg (''Saints' Mountain''), along the side of which runs the Philosophers' Walk (), with scenic views of the old town and castle. Traditionally, Heidelberg's philosophers and university professors would walk and talk along the pathway. Farther up the mountain lie the ruined 11th-century Monastery of St. Michael, the smaller Monastery of St. Stephen, a Nazi-era amphitheater, and the remains of an earthen Celtic hill fort from the 4th century BC.

Heidelberg churches

There are many historical churches in Heidelberg and its environs. The Church of the Holy Spirit has been shared over the centuries since the Protestant Reformation by both Catholics and Protestants. It is one of the few buildings to survive the many wars during the past centuries. It was rebuilt after the French set fire to it in 1709 during the War of the Palatinian Succession. The church has remains of the tombs and epitaphs of the past Palatinate electors. This Church stands in the ''Marktplatz'' next to the seat of local government. In 1720, Karl III Philip, Elector Palatine came into conflict with the town's Protestants as a result of giving the Church of the Holy Spirit exclusively to the Catholics for their use. It had previously been split by a partition and used by both congregations. Due to pressure by the mostly Protestant powers of Prussia, Holland, and Sweden, Prince Karl III Philip gave way and repartitioned the church for joint use. In 1936 the separating wall was removed. The church is now exclusively used by Protestants. Furthermore there is the Catholic Church of the Jesuits. Its construction began in 1712. It was completed with the addition of a bell tower from 1866 - 1872. The church is also home to the Museum für sakrale Kunst und Liturgie (Museum of Ecclesiastical Arts). The oldest church in Heidelberg is the St. Peter's Church (now Lutheran). It was built by early Christians (Catholics) sometime during the 12th century, although there is no exact documentation of the date.

Education

Universities and academia

Heidelberg is known for its institutions of higher education. The most famous of those is the University of Heidelberg. Founded in 1386, it is one of Europe's oldest institutions. In fact, Heidelberg is the oldest university town of today's Germany. Among the prominent thinkers associated with the institution are Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Jaspers, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Jürgen Habermas, Karl-Otto Apel and Hannah Arendt. The campus is situated in two urban areas and several buildings. In numerous historical buildings in the old town there are the Faculties of the Humanities, the Social Science and the Faculty of Law. The Faculties of Medicine and Natural Science are settled on the Neuenheimer Feld Campus.

Since 1904 there has been a College of Educational Science, the ''Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg''; since 1979 there has been a college of Jewish Studies, the ''Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg''. It comprises nine branches specializing on both religion and Jewish culture. The University of Applied Sciences in Heidelberg, the ''SRH Hochschule Heidelberg'' was founded in 1992, is accredited by the German state and is situated in the ''Science Tower'' in Wieblingen. The Schiller International University, a private American university is also represented with a campus in Heidelberg offering several undergraduate and graduate programs in the fields of International Business and International Relations and Diplomacy.

Research

In addtition to the research centers and institutes of the university, there are numerous research institutions situated in the city of Heidelberg. Among them are the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ), Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law.

Schools

Heidelberg is home to 23 elementary schools. There are several institutions of secondary education — both public and private — in Heidelberg representing all levels of the German school system. There are fourteen Gymnasium with six of them being private. With 52% of the secondary students visiting a Gymnasium, Heidelberg has an above-average percentage compared to the German standard. The reason might be that there is a very high number of academics residing in Heidelberg and its environs. Some of those are the Bunsen-Gymnasium, the Helmholtz-Gymnasium, the Hölderlin-Gymnasium and the Elisabeth-von-Thadden-Schule. Then there are seven Realschule, ten Hauptschule and nine vocational schools (the so-called ''Berufsschule''). In addition, there are several folk high schools with different specialisations.

Economy

Tourism

In 2004, 81.8% of all people worked for service industries, including tourism. As a relic of the period of Romanticism, Heidelberg has been labeled a "Romantic town". This is used to attract more than 3.5 million visitors every year. Many events are organized to attract visitors. Heidelberg is located on four tourist roads: Bergstraße, Bertha Benz Memorial Route, Castle Road, and Straße der Demokratie (Road of Democracy).

Industry

Only 18% of employment is provided by industry. Printing and publishing are important enterprises; nearby Walldorf is a center of the IT industry and SAP World Headquarters. Noted pen manufacturer Lamy has its headquarters and factory in Heidelberg-Wieblingen. Heidelberger Druckmaschinen has its headquarters here; its factory is loctated in Walldorf. Soft-drink company Wild-Werke, manufacturer of the Capri-Sonne (Capri-Sun in the U.S.) is located in Heidelberg-Kirchheim.

With its long Hauptstrasse, Heidelberg is a shopping destination for people from the surrounding smaller towns.

Railways

Heidelberg has a railway station on the Rhine Valley Railway and Intercity Express (ICE) stops. This station is also served by the RheinNeckar S-Bahn.

United States military installations

During World War II, Heidelberg was one of the few major cities in Germany not significantly damaged by Allied bombing. Situated in the American Zone of Germany, Heidelberg became the headquarters of the American forces in Europe. Several military installations remain, including Campbell Barracks (the former Wehrmacht Grossdeutschland-Kaserne), where headquarters for several units are located. These include US Army, Europe (USAREUR) and NATO's Component Command-Land Headquarters. (Until 2004, this was designated Joint Headquarters Centre, and before that, LANDCENT).

Campbell Barracks and Mark Twain Village are both in Südstadt; Patton Barracks is in nearby Kirchheim. Nachrichten Kaserne in Rohrbach is home to the former Heidelberg Army Hospital, now designated the Heidelberg Health Center.

Patrick Henry Village, the largest U.S. military housing area in the Heidelberg area, is located west of Kirchheim. These installations, including Tompkins Barracks and Kilbourne Kaserne in nearby Schwetzingen, plus the Germersheim Depot, make up U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg. (Link to the U.S. Army Garrison Web site).Tompkins Barracks is home to U.S. Army Installation Management Command Europe Region. The Heidelberg U.S. Army Air Field (Heidelberg AAF) has been converted to an heliport (mostly Blackhawk Helicopters) after the NATO Kosovo campaign.

The children of the Department of Defense employees based in Heidelberg tend to attend US Army-operated schools on site. There are four schools of this kind in Heidelberg: Heidelberg High School and mark Twain Elementary School in Mark Twain Village, and Heidelberg Middle School and Patrick Henry Elementary in Patrick Henry Village. This means that most American families and their children have little contact with local children or the population in general. Since 2002, the isolation has become more noted, as most US installations and Barracks have been fenced. Access is limited to US Army staff and their families only. The much-enjoyed fair that was held for decades at Patrick Henry Village has been canceled since the stepped up security following 9/11.

On 19 October 2009 the U.S. Army announced that it will be building new headquarters for USAREUR in Wiesbaden. When the move from Heidelberg to Wiesbaden will take place is not yet clear. The new building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2012.

Culture

Events

Throughout the year there are different regular festivals and events hosted and organized in Heidelberg. In February, the ''Ball der Vampire'' (Ball of the Vampires) is arranged and Fasching, the equivalent of Mardis Gras or Carnival in some German region, with a giant vampire-themed costume party at the local castle or city hall is celebrated. In March or April the ''Heidelberger Frühling'' (Heidelberg Spring), the Classic Music Festival and the international Easter egg market are conducted. During the last weekend of April there is an annually organized half marathon. In the summertime there are the ''Frühlingsmesse'' on the Messeplatz (May) and Illumination of the castle and bridge with lights and fireworks take place. In September, each last Saturday the ''Old Town Autumn Festival'' is held. It includes a Medieval Market, an arts and crafts market, a flea market, and music from Samba to Rock. During October or November there are the ''Heidelberger Theater Days'' and a jazz festival. Every year in November the International Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg take place in the city, too. The festival presents arthouse films of international newcomer directors and is held jointly by both of the cities. During Christmas there is a Christmas market throughout the oldest part of the city. A famous gift is the chocolate called Heidelberger ''Studentenkuss'' (student kiss).

Museums and exhibitions

Among the most prominent museums of Heidelberg are for instance the Carl Bosch Museum which shows life and work of chemist and Nobel Prize-winner Carl Bosch. Then there is the Documentation and Culture Centre of German Sinti and Roma (Dokumentations- und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Sini und Roma) describing the Nazi genocide of the Sinti and Roma peoples. The German Packing Museum (Deutsches Verpackungsmuseum) gives an overview on the history of packing and wrapping goods whereas the German Pharmacy Museum (Deutsches Apothekenmuseum) which is located in the castle illustrates the story of Pharmacy in Germany. The Kurpfälzisches Museum (Palatinate Museum) offers a great art collection and some Roman archeological artifacts from the region. In the honour of Friedrich Ebert one established the President Friedrich Ebert Memorial which remembers the life of Germany's first democratic head of state. Besides, there are guided tours in most of the historical monuments of Heidelberg, as well as organized tourist tours through the city available in several languages.

Romanticism of Heidelberg

Heidelberg was the centre of the epoch of ''Romantik'' (Romanticism) in Germany. There was a famous circle of poets, such as Joseph von Eichendorff, Johann Joseph von Görres, Arnim, and Clemens Brentano. A relic of Romanticism is the Philosophers' Walk (), a scenic walking path on the nearby Heiligenberg, overlooking Heidelberg.

The ''Romantik'' epoch of German philosophy and literature, was described as a movement against classical and realistic theories of literature, a contrast to the rationality of the Age of Enlightenment. It elevated medievalism and elements of art and narrative perceived to be from the medieval period. It also emphasized folk art, nature and an epistemology based on nature, which included human activity conditioned by nature in the form of language, custom and usage.

Sport

Heidelberg is one of the centres of Rugby union in Germany, along with Hannover. In 2008-09, four out of nine clubs in the Rugby-Bundesliga were from Heidelberg, these being RG Heidelberg, SC Neuenheim, Heidelberger RK and TSV Handschuhsheim. Additionally, Heidelberger TV also has a rugby department.

Rugby League Deutschland has two teams based in Heidelberg, Heidelberg Sharks formed in 2005 and Rohrbach Hornets formed in 2007.

International relations

Heidelberg maintains sister city relationships (Städtepartnerschaft) with the following cities:

Cambridge, United Kingdom, since 1957 Montpellier, France, since 1961 Rehovot, Israel, since 1983 Simferopol, Ukraine, since 1991 Bautzen, Saxony, since 1991 Kumamoto, Japan, since 1992

Use in popular culture

Heidelberg is featured in the 1968 film ''The Girl on a Motorcycle'', the University being the ultimate destination of Marianne Faithfull's character. Heidelberg is also the home of a professional Quidditch team operating within the fictional Harry Potter universe. The Heidelberg Harriers have been described as “fiercer than a dragon and twice as clever”. Heidelberg is the residence of fictional character Nina Fortner/Anna Liebert in the anime/manga series, Monster, by Naoki Urasawa.

Notable inhabitants

Antje Duvekot (*1976), singer-songwriter

Hans-Georg Gadamer (1900–2002), philosopher

Ian Harding (*1986), actor

Harald zur Hausen (*1936), virologist, Nobel Laureate

Dietmar Hopp (*1940), software entrepreneur

Paul Kirchhof (*1943), former Judge in the Federal Constitutional Court of Germany (''Bundesverfassungsgericht'')

Karl A. Lamers (*1951), politician, President of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly

Ananda Mahidol (1925–1946), King of Thailand

Heinrich Neal (1870–1940), composer, directed the Heidelberg Conservatory of Music.

Christiane Schmidtmer (1939–2003), actress and model

Klaus Schütz (*1926), politician

Silvia Renate Sommerlath (*1943), Queen of Sweden

Albert Speer (1905–1981), German architect and Third Reich minister

Petar Beron (1799-1871), Bulgarian educator

Vasil Radoslavov (1854-1929), Bulgarian Prime Minister

Notable people who died in Heidelberg

Robert Bunsen (16 August 1899), chemist

Felix Heinrich Wankel (9 October 1988), mechanical engineer and inventor

Gallery

See also

Heidelberg Center for American Studies

Heidelberg University (Ohio)

Schiller International University

Notes

References

External links

Official site of Heidelberg, a small English section is available

Audio Tour in the Castle of Heidelberg

U.S. Army Garrison Heidelberg homepage

Heidelberg American High School, The official site of Heidelberg American High School

Category:Cities in Baden-Württemberg Category:Karlsruhe region Category:University towns in Germany

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