Lahr

Lahr, officially called Lahr/Schwarzwald since September 30, 1978, is a city in western Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It lies about 50 km north of Freiburg im Breisgau, 40 km southeast of Strasbourg, and 95 km southwest of Karlsruhe. Lahr is the second largest city in the Ortenau (district), after Offenburg. It helps support the nearby towns and cities such as Ettenheim, Friesenheim, Kappel-Grafenhausen, Kippenheim, Kippenheim, Mahlberg, Meißenheim, Ringsheim, Rust, Schuttertal, Schwanau and Seelbach.

In the mid-1950s, Lahr grew to more than 20,000 people. Because of this growth, on April 1, 1956, Lahr became a Große Kreisstadt, a special kind of city in Germany. Lahr also works closely with the nearby town of Kippenheim for some of its local government tasks.

Geography

Lahr is located on the western edge of the Black Forest, where the Schutter Valley meets the Upper Rhine River Plains. The Schutter River flows into the city from the southeast and runs northwest through several areas before leaving the city.

The city of Lahr includes the main area and several other communities that joined it over time. These include Burgheim, which joined in 1899, and Dinglingen, which joined in 1933. During a big district change in Baden-Württemberg in the 1970s, more areas like Hugsweier and Kippenheim also became part of Lahr.

Some parts of these areas have their own small neighborhoods, each with their own history.

Neighbouring communities

Cities and towns that border Lahr, listed clockwise from the north, are Friesenheim, Seelbach, Kippenheim, Kappel-Grafenhausen, and Schwanau.

Climate

The climate around Lahr has mild changes between warm and cool temperatures, with rain throughout the year. It is known as an Oceanic climate, which means it has balanced temperatures and regular rainfall.

History

Lahr grew around the Storchenturm ("stork tower") owned by the House of Geroldseck around 1220 and got its city charter around 1278. The charter was renewed in 1377 and helped Lahr become a trade center in the eighteenth century.

The city and its land were owned by the Geroldsecks until 1426. Later, the House of Moers-Saarwerden owned it and gave half to Baden for loans. Full ownership passed to Baden in 1497. The other half went to the House of Nassau-Saarbrücken in 1522. Both Baden and Nassau-Saarbrücken introduced the Reformation and ruled Lahr together until 1629.

The Thirty Years' War greatly reduced Lahr's population. In 1677 during the Dutch War, French troops burned the city. In the eighteenth century, Lahr's citizens won important legal cases against the House of Nassau.

After World War II, Lahr was a base for French forces until 1966. Then, from 1967 to 1994, Canadian NATO forces had their European headquarters there. In the 1970s, Lahr became part of the new Ortenau District after district reforms.

The boroughs

Lahr's boroughs share a long history with the city. Hugsweier, Burgheim, Dinglingen, Langenwinkel, Mietersheim and Sulz were once ruled by the same leaders as Lahr. They became part of Baden in 1803 and later merged into the city.

Langenwinkel was built starting in 1787 after trees were cut down. It became an independent community in 1797. After 1951, an airfield for Canadian forces was built nearby, causing noise and traffic problems. In 1965, the village moved several kilometres southeast.

Religion

Lahr was originally part of the Archdiocese of Strasbourg and attached to nearby parishes. In 1259, Augustinians founded a monastery. After the Reformation in the mid-1500s, Lahr became exclusively Protestant for centuries.

In the early 1800s, Catholics began returning to Lahr, and the first Catholic parish was founded in 1843. More Catholic parishes developed later. Other Christian groups, including Baptists, Methodists, Pentecostals, and the New Apostolic Church, are also present in Lahr.

District reform

Over time, several towns merged with Lahr:

• 1899: Burgheim
• 1933: Dinglingen
• 1972: Hugsweier, Kippenheimweiler, Kuhbach, Langenwinkel, Mietersheim, Reichenbach and Sulz

Demographics

Many of Lahr's residents today are descendants of Germans who settled in Russia, and others are descendants of people from the former Soviet Union.

Government

Lahr has special groups called borough councils for some areas. People in these areas choose members to help make decisions for their neighborhoods.

The city has a group of leaders called a city council. In elections in 2014, different groups of people got seats to help make decisions for the city.

Lahr used to have many leaders, but now it has one main leader called a mayor. The mayor is chosen by people in the city every eight years and also leads the city council.

Lahr's symbol, called a coat of arms, has a special design. It shows a red beam on a golden background on one side and a silver wall on a blue background on the other side. This design has been used since at least 1305 and comes from the family that started the city.

People, culture and architecture

Buildings

The Storchenturm (crane tower) is the logo of Lahr. The tower is part of an old castle and stands near the old city wall. Other important places are the City park with a museum in the Jamm villa and a foundry in Reichenbach. The new city hall was built as a home for a business person. It has a special facade made by Friedrich Weinbrenner.

The main church is the Lutheran Stiftskirche. It used to be called the Church of Our Lady. It is a large church with three sections and a tall tower built in 1874. There is also a very old church called St. Peter's in Burgheim. It is one of the oldest churches on the right side of the Rhine.

Events

The Chrysanthema is a flower show that lasts for three weeks every fall. Many people from Germany and nearby countries visit to see the beautifully decorated historic center of town.

Economy and infrastructure

Infrastructure

Lahr has an airport called Flughafen Lahr. It used to be a base for Canadian forces. The runway is long, but there are no regular flights from there. The closest airports for passengers are Strasbourg Airport, about 49 kilometers away, and Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg Airport, about 117 kilometers away.

You can reach Lahr by car using the A 5 highway. Other roads like the B 3, B 36, and B415 also meet there.

Lahr has a train station on the Rhine Valley Railway run by Deutsche Bahn. The old main station and some train tracks have been removed.

Media

Lahr has local newspapers such as the Schwarzwälder Bote, which publishes a version called "Lahrer Zeitung". There is also a local edition of the Badische Zeitung from Freiburg. The Offenburger Tageblatt has a daily edition covering Lahr and nearby areas.

Public service

Lahr has part of the Bereitschaftspolizei, as well as several regional and state courts. There are offices for finance, labor, and notary public services. Lahr is also important for religious groups, including the Archdiocese of Freiburg and the Evangelical Church in Baden.

Education

Lahr has a private university, and its hospital helps train medical students from the University in Freiburg.

The city has several high schools, one smaller high school, one school for special needs education, eight primary schools, two combined primary and middle schools, and two middle schools.

The area also has vocational schools, schools for students with speech difficulties including a Kindergarten, and schools for students with mental disabilities, also with a kindergarten attached.

There are special schools such as one for painters and a nursing school connected to the hospital. Many private and specialty training schools are available, including evening classes for students who want to prepare for college after work.

Notable people

Lahr has been home to many interesting people throughout history. Some famous individuals from Lahr include Philipp Jakob Siebenpfeiffer, a lawyer and journalist who spoke at the Hambach Festival, and Ludwig Eichrodt, a poet who died in Lahr. Others include Charles Fingado, a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly, and Ludwig Sütterlin, the inventor of Sütterlinschrift writing.

The city also produced notable figures like Emil Rudolf Weiß, a painter and typographer, and Hans Furler, a politician who served as president of the European Parliament. Helmut Beinert, a biochemist born in Lahr, and Felix Wankel, the inventor of the Wankel engine, are also from this city. More recent notable people include musician Tommy Mac, a guitarist for the rock band Hedley, and violist Tabea Zimmermann.

Sport

In sports, Lahr has seen athletes like Oliver Schäfer, a football player and coach, and Christina Obergföll, a retired javelin thrower. Sascha Riether is another former footballer from Lahr.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Germany

Lahr has friendly partnerships with these cities in other countries:

• Alajuela, Costa Rica (since 2006)
• Belleville, Canada (since 1971)
• Dole, France (since 1962)