Baden-Baden
View of Baden-Baden from Mount Merkur.
Baden-Baden
Coordinates	48°45′46″N 8°14′27″E / 48.76278°N 8.24083°E / 48.76278; 8.24083Coordinates: 48°45′46″N 8°14′27″E / 48.76278°N 8.24083°E / 48.76278; 8.24083
Administration
Country	Germany
State	Baden-Württemberg
Admin. region	Karlsruhe
District	Urban district
Mayor	Wolfgang Gerstner (CDU)
Basic statistics
Area	140.18 km2 (54.12 sq mi)
Elevation	181 m  (594 ft)
Population	54,445 (31 December 2010)[1]
- Density	388 /km2 (1,006 /sq mi)
Other information
Time zone	CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Licence plate	BAD
Postal codes	76530–76534
Area codes	07221, 07223
Website	baden-baden.de

Baden-Baden is a spa town in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is located on the western foothills of the Black Forest, on the banks of the Oos River, in the region of Karlsruhe. Its sister city is Menton, France.^{[citation needed]}

History[link]

The German word, 'Baden', translates as 'baths'. The springs of Baden-Baden were known to the Romans, and the foundation of the town refers to the emperor, Hadrian, with an inscription of somewhat doubtful authenticity. The bath-conscious Roman emperor, Caracalla, once came here to ease his arthritic aches.^[2] Baden was also known as Aurelia Aquensis, in honour of Aurelius Severus, during whose reign Baden would seem to have been well known. Fragments of its ancient sculptures are still to be seen, and, in 1847, the well preserved remains of Roman vapour baths were discovered just below the New Castle.^{[citation needed]}

The town was named Baden (without the repetition) in the Middle Ages. The town fell into ruin but reappeared in 1112 as the seat (until 1705) of the Margraviate of Baden.^[3] From the 14th century to the end of the 17th, Baden-Baden was the residence of the margraves of Baden, to whom Baden-Baden gave its name. The margraves first dwelled in the old castle, the ruins of which still occupy the summit above the town, but, in 1479, they moved to the new castle, which is situated on the hillside nearer to the town. During the Thirty Years' War and the Nine Years' War, Baden-Baden suffered severely from the various combatants, especially from the French, who pillaged it in 1643 and left it in ashes in 1689. The margrave Louis William, popularly known as Türkenlouis, moved to Rastatt in 1705.^{[citation needed]}

During the Second Congress of Rastatt (1797–1799), Baden-Baden was rediscovered as a spa town. The popularity of the city as a spa dates from the early 19th century, when the Prussian queen visited the site to improve her health.^[3] During the 19th century, the town rose to become a meeting place for celebrities, who were attracted by the hot springs as well as by the famous Baden-Baden Casino, the luxury hotels, the horse races, and the gardens of the Lichtentaler Allee. Clients included Queen Victoria, Wilhelm I, Napoleon III, Berlioz, Brahms, and Dostoyevsky.^[2] Baden-Baden is a setting in Tolstoy's Anna Karenina, but the city has a different name.^[2] Baden-Baden was then nicknamed the European summer capital and reached its zenith under Napoleon III during the 1850s and 1860s.^[3] The Russian writer, Dostoevsky, wrote The Gambler while compulsively gambling at the Baden-Baden Casino.^[4] Johannes Brahms' local residence, the Brahmshaus, can still be visited today.^{[citation needed]}

In 1931, the town of Baden-Baden was officially given its double name, which is the short form for "Baden in Baden" (i.e., Baden in the state of Baden). This was already in common use to distinguish the town from Baden bei Wien ("Baden near Vienna") and Baden, Switzerland. In both World Wars, the town escaped destruction. After World War II, Baden-Baden became the headquarters of the French forces in Germany.^{[citation needed]}

Under the supervision of the French Air Force, a military airfield was constructed at Baden-Söllingen between the Black Forest and the Rhine River, 15 km west of Baden-Baden; the runway and associated facilities were completed in June 1952. In 1953, units of the Royal Canadian Air Force were accommodated at the base later known as CFB Baden-Soellingen. In the 1990s, the base was converted into a civil airport, the Baden Airpark, which is now the second-largest airport in Baden-Württemberg.^{[citation needed]}

Sights[link]

• 

  The Florentinerberg (Florentine Hill) with the New Castle (top right), the Caracalla Spa (bottom right), and the Friedrichsbad (bottom left)

• 

  Stiftskirche in Baden-Baden

• 

  Kurhaus with casino in Baden-Baden

• 

  The Trinkhalle with the mineral water spring

• 

  Brenner's Park-Hotel & Spa

• 

  Russische Kirche, an orthodox church in Baden-Baden

• 

  Friedrichsbad (Frederick's bath), New Castle and Klosterschule vom Heiligen Grab (Abbey school)

• Hohenbaden hb.JPG

  The "Old castle" (Hohenbaden)

Tourism[link]

Baden-Baden is a picturesque German bathing town.^[7] The city offers many options for sports enthusiasts;^[2] Golf and tennis are both popular in the area.^[2] Horse racing fans enjoy the international racing season each August at nearby Iffezheim.^[2] The countryside is ideal for hiking and mountain climbing.^[2] In the winter Baden-Baden is a skiing destination.^[2]

The springs of Baden-Baden have been known for more than 2,000 years, and their composition resembles that of the Roman baths of the 3rd century.^[8] The water at the baths of "Caracalla-Therme" spa is rich in sodium chloride, and comes from artesian wells 1,800 metres (5,900 ft) under the Florentiner Mountain.^[9]

The Spielbank casino is more than 200 years old and the oldest of its type in Germany.^[10] Dostoyevsky is said to have written The Gambler after he lost his money and even his shirt here.^[10] The rooms were designed in the style of a French château.^[10]

The Russian writer Ivan Turgenev based his novel Smoke (1867) in Baden-Baden, describing it as a place where the Russian nobility spend time.^{[citation needed]}

There is a picturesque 18-hole golf course in Fremersberg.^[11]

Much of the Joseph Losey movie The Romantic Englishwoman (1975) was filmed on location in the town, with the Brenner's Park Hotel featuring particularly prominently. The Bollywood movie Dil To Pagal Hai (1997) was the first Indian movie to be shot in Baden-Baden.^{[citation needed]}

From 23 to 28 September 1981, the XIth Olympic Congress took place in the Kurhaus in Baden-Baden. The England football team were based near Baden-Baden at Hotel Bühlerhöhe (Schwarzwaldhochstraße) during the 2006 FIFA World Cup.^{[citation needed]}

References[link]

Wikisource has the text of the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica article Baden (Germany).

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Baden-Baden

External links[link]

• Official site (German) (English) (Spanish) (French) (Italian) (Japanese) (Russian) (Chinese)
• "Art and Nightlife Have Baden-Baden Percolating Again", New York Times, July 9, 2006

v t e Regions, and urban and rural districts in the state of Baden-Württemberg in Germany Regions Freiburg Karlsruhe Stuttgart Tübingen Urban districts Baden-Baden Freiburg Heidelberg Heilbronn Karlsruhe Mannheim Pforzheim Stuttgart Ulm Rural districts Alb-Donau Biberach Bodensee Böblingen Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald Calw Emmendingen Enz Esslingen Freudenstadt Göppingen Heidenheim Heilbronn Hohenlohe Karlsruhe Konstanz Lörrach Ludwigsburg Main-Tauber Neckar-Odenwald Ortenau Ostalbkreis Rastatt Ravensburg Rems-Murr Reutlingen Rhein-Neckar Rottweil Schwarzwald-Baar Schwäbisch Hall Sigmaringen Tübingen Tuttlingen Waldshut Zollernalb

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Harald Schmidt
Harald Schmidt
Born	(1957-08-18) August 18, 1957 (age 54) Neu-Ulm, West Germany
Occupation	talk show host, comedian and television producer
Website
Sat.1 Official Site

Harald Franz Schmidt (born August 18, 1957 in Neu-Ulm, Bavaria) is a German actor, writer, comedian and television entertainer best known as host of two popular German late-night shows.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

As son of refugees who fled from South Moravia (now Czech Republic) in 1945, Schmidt spent his youth in Swabian Nürtingen, where he went to grammar school. Due to his strict Catholic upbringing he devoted time to the Roman Catholic church, serving as choirmaster and playing the organ.

At the age of 21, Schmidt went to Stuttgart to attend drama school for three years. After that, he gained on-stage experience at Städtische Bühne (Municipal Stage) in Augsburg. His first role was that of the 2nd Mamaluke in Lessing's Nathan the Wise. In 1984, Harald Schmidt became a text writer for the cabaret Kom(m)ödchen in Düsseldorf and in 1986, was honoured as "Best Newcomer cabaret artist" and toured through Germany with his own show.

Television[link]

Before long, TV noticed the talented young comedian and in 1988 Schmidt began to host his first TV show, MAZ ab. This was followed by shows like Psst! and Schmidteinander, but the biggest boost to his career occurred in 1992, when he started hosting the popular Saturday night show, Verstehen Sie Spaß? (a variation of Candid Camera). Schmidt was awarded Germany's most important TV award, "Adolf-Grimme-Preis", which would be followed by many others. Just one year later, he was honoured as the "Entertainer of the year" and awarded the famous Bambi award and the Golden Camera.

In 1995, Schmidt changed from the publicly funded TV station ARD to the privately owned channel Sat.1 and started the late night talk and variety show, Die Harald Schmidt Show. From 30 June 2003 the show was broadcast five days a week, including Monday evening. On the 8th December 2003, Schmidt suddenly announced the end of the show, following a change of management of Sat.1. The last show was aired on the 23rd December 2003.

Harald Schmidt and Manuel Andrack live in Karlsruhe

"Creative break" and show relaunch[link]

In 2004, Schmidt toured through Germany with a live comedy show, featuring his former late night show sidekick Manuel Andrack. On December 23 of the same year, the new show Harald Schmidt began featuring Andrack, back on ARD, where Schmidt had begun his television career 16 years earlier.

In October 2005, his daughter Amelie was born.

Harald Schmidt resides in Cologne with his partner Ellen Hantsch, a school teacher, and five children, the eldest being from a former relationship. Little is known about the children and their two mothers as Schmidt shields them from the public. In interviews he hardly talks about them.

Shows[link]

[edit] Harald Schmidt Show (Sat.1)

Schmidt is host of the German late night show comparable to Late Night with Conan O'Brien or Late Night with David Letterman, which has now begun a second run after a year-long "creative break". The original show, named Die Harald Schmidt Show and shown on German television network Sat.1, featured stand-up comedy as well as famous national and international guests.

In its later years, the show became a critics' favourite due to Schmidt's "intellectual" sense of humour. For example, he hosted one show completely in French. On another occasion, the screen was blacked for half of the show making it into a "radio broadcast". Another time, he disproved a critic who had written that it is impossible to spend several minutes on TV just cracking nuts.

[edit] Harald Schmidt (ARD)

Schmidt began a second run with a new show on publicly funded ARD, this time without "celebrity" interviews and with even more discussion of current events in a rather freely associative manner. As the German entertainer Thomas Gottschalk recently quipped, Schmidt will always attract the student and intellectual crowd, Gottschalk himself will take care of the rest.

On his first show after the break Schmidt appeared with long hair and a fluffy full beard (which looked kind of grey-white-blond-yellowish and reminiscent of Ernest Hemingway and made it to the newspaper headlines the next morning) making fun of his long absence from the public. Although he claimed right on: "I swear, I shaved this morning!". After summer break in 2005 the "celebrity guest" segment was reintroduced.

[edit] Schmidt & Pocher (ARD)

Late in 2007, Manuel Andrack was replaced by Comedian Oliver Pocher, who had a more active part than his predecessor, and some other elements changed as well. The broadcast's title was changed to "Schmidt & Pocher", trying to attract a younger audience. Oliver Pocher was less educated and "less intellectual", a fact that caused some criticism among Harald Schmidt's core audience and broadsheet newspaper comments in Germany.

[edit] Harald Schmidt (Das Erste)

As of 2011, Schmidt hosts a live show for Das Erste each week.

[edit] Return to Sat. 1 as Harald Schmidt Show again

On September 15, 2011 Schmidt returned to his former network Sat.1 picking up is former show name of Die Harald Schmidt Show again. Sat.1 cancelled the show after one season due to low viewer levels.^[1]

[edit] Harald Schmidt Show (Sky Deutschland)

Starting September 11, 2012 new episodes will be shown on Sky Hits HD and Sky Atlantic HD, two channels of the German Pay-TV network Sky Deutschland.^[2]

Concept/crew[link]

The self-proclaimed hypochondriac became popular for his cynical jokes, cruel remarks and wry intellectual wit. (Even though he is obsessed with health he was able to lampoon this weak spot in a self ironic TV commercial for a medicine curing colds.) Schmidt models himself after people like Johnny Carson and Conan O'Brien, but adds few factors and qualities to his show himself.

He engaged in long, seemingly boring conversations with his "supervising producer" Manuel Andrack (known as "chief dramatic adviser"), who sat at a desk next to Schmidt's, and, like Letterman, also included his staff in the show, for instance, his band leader Helmut Zerlett and his cue card girl Suzana Novinscak (both omitted in the new show). After a few new shows, Schmidt celebrated the return of French woman Nathalie Licard. Previously Schmidt's reporter in the old show, she sat on a stool, opposite Manuel Andrack, in front of the band. On occasion, she was involved in the goings-on (like dressing up as Eliza Doolittle in front of the audience, helping Schmidt to bring people from the audience who were chosen to form an impromptu choir etc.). It has been announced on the 28th of March 2012 that the "Harald Schmidt Show" will end on the 3rd of May 2012 on SAT1.

Criticism[link]

Especially during the first years of Die Harald Schmidt Show, Schmidt was sometimes criticised for making fun of minorities like foreigners or gays. He also did some Adolf Hitler imitations in his show (in one of these he as Hitler warned young people not to vote for racist and nationalistic parties). However, especially Schmidts more unorthodox and politically incorrect jokes have garnered the show a reputation as cult television and his supporters accused critics of being incapable of understanding satire.

Awards[link]

Awards include three German Television Awards, the viewers choice award Bambi, the Grimme Award, the Golden Camera and the Golden Lion as best showmaster.

Related meme[link]

A picture of Schmidt, with a beard and long hair, holding up his index finger, is the basis of an Internet meme known as "fgsfds."

References[link]

External links[link]

• Die Harald Schmidt Show (old site)
• Harald Schmidt at the Internet Movie Database
• Schmidt's new Show (SAT.1)