Heidelberg
Heidelberg (occasionally called Heidelburg in Spanish) is a city located in the Neckar river valley in northwestern Baden-Württemberg, Germany. It is famous for its historic center with the Heidelberg Palace and for having the oldest university in the country (and one of the most prestigious in Europe), making it an important cultural center and tourist destination.
Heidelberg has 150,000 inhabitants. It is a "city-district" (Stadtkreis) and at the same time seat of the surrounding Rhine-Neckar district (Rhein-Neckar-Kreis) in the densely populated region from Rhine-Neckar-Dreieck which includes the cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen located less than 30 km away.
Geography
Heidelberg lies in the Neckar river valley, on the left bank of the lower Neckar river in a steep valley in the Odenwald. It is limited by the hills of the Königstuhl (568 m) and the Gaisberg (375 m). The Necker River flows in an east-west direction. On the right bank of the river, the Heiligenberg Mountain rises to a height of (445 m). The Neckar River empties into the Rhine River approximately 22 kilometers northwest of Mannheim. Villages incorporated during the 20th century stretch out of the Neckar Valley along the Bergstraße, a road that runs through the foothills of the Odenwald.
Heidelberg is on the European Hiking Route E1 (Sweden-Umbria).
Flora and fauna
Heidelberg is in one of the warmest regions of Germany, which explains why atypical plants of the Central European climate flourish in some gardens, such as the almond tree (Prunus dulcis) and even some fig trees (Ficus carica) survive; there is also an olive tree (Olea europaea) in a street. Another curiosity is that in the year 2000 the tradition of planting vines under the Philosophenweg (path of the philosophers) on the slope of the Neckar valley opposite the Old City was resumed.
Other curiosities are the feral populations of African parrots (Psittacus erithacus), and Siberian swan, which can be seen on the Neckar river near the Bergheim neighborhood.
Administrative structure
Heidelberg is a city-district (Stadtkreis) within the Regierungsbezirk Karlsruhe. The Rhein-Neckar District surrounds and is based in the city, although the city is not part of the district. Heidelberg is a part of the Rhein-Neckar metropolitan region, often referred to as the Rhein-Neckar triangle. This region consists of the southern part of the federal state of Hesse, the southern part of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate (Vorderpfalz or Anterior Palatinate), the administrative district of Mannheim and Heidelberg, and the municipalities of the south of Rhein-Neckar-Kreis. The Rhein-Neckar triangle became a European Metropolitan Area in 2005.
Heidelberg consists of 15 districts spread over 6 sections of the city. In the center are the Altstadt (the old city), Bergheim and Weststadt; in the north, Neuenheim and Handschuhsheim; in the east, Ziegelhausen and Schlierbach; in the south, Südstadt, Rohrbach, Emmertsgrund and Boxberg; in the southeast, Kirchheim; in the west, Pfaffengrund, Wieblingen and a new district, called Bahnstadt, built on land in Weststadt and Wieblingen. The new district will have between 5,000-6,000 residents and about 7,000 employees.
Neighboring communities
The following cities and communes surround the city of Heidelberg, starting in the west and clockwise: 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 has an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), defined by the sheltered valley between the Palatinate and Odenwald forests. Throughout the year, the average temperatures are determined by the maritime air masses coming from the west. In contrast to the nearby Upper Rhine plain, Heidelberg's position in the valley leads to more frequent than average easterly winds. The slopes of the Odenwald favor cloudiness and precipitation. The hottest month is July, the coldest is January. Temperatures consistently rise above 30°C at the height of summer (Summer Solstice). According to the German weather service, Heidelberg was the warmest place in Germany in 2009.
History
The mandible of the so-called "Heidelberg Man", discovered in 1907, constitutes one of the first evidence of human life in Europe some 600,000 years ago.
In the fifth century B.C. C., there was a Celtic fortress and a place of worship on the Heiligenberg, or “Mountain of Saints”.
In the year 40 AD. C. the Roman army occupied a fort and built permanent camps there, a signal tower on the banks of the Neckar, as well as a wooden bridge over the river. The first civilian settlements developed under the protection of the camp. The Romans remained until AD 260. C., when the camp was conquered by Germanic peoples.
The origins of modern Heidelberg date back to the 5th century, when the village Bergheim it is mentioned for the first time in documents dated in the year 769. Bergheim established himself in the middle of Heidelberg.
Timeline
863, the monastery of St. Michael was founded on the Heiligenberg, inside the double wall of the Celtic fortress.
1155, Heidelberg Castle is taken over by the House of Hohenstaufen.
1195, the Palatinate joined the House of Welf by marriage.
1225, Ludwig I, Duke of Bavaria obtained the Palatinate and therefore also the castle.
1356, the counts palatines are granted far-reaching rights in the famous "Golden Bull", in addition to becoming electors.
1386, the University of Heidelberg is founded by Rupert I, Elector of the Palatinate. The university plays a fundamental role in the era of humanism and the Reformation and the conflict between Lutheranism and Calvinism in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Heidelberg Library, created in 1421, is the oldest public library in Germany that is still intact. A few months after the proclamation of the Ninety-Five Theses, in April 1518, Martin Luther was received at Heidelberg for his defense.
1620, the royal crown of Bohemia was offered to Elector Frederick V of the Palatinate (married Elizabeth, eldest daughter of James VI of Scotland). He became known as the "winter king", as he only reigned for one winter until the House of Habsburg forcibly regained the crown. This marked the start of the Thirty Years' War.
1622, after a two-month siege, the armies of the Catholic League, commanded by the Count of Tilly, conquered Heidelberg. Tilly gave the Pope the Palatine Library of the Church of the Holy Spirit. The Bavarian branch of the house of Wittelsbach seized the Palatinate and took the title of Electoral Prince. In 1648, at the end of the war, the son of Federico V, Carlos Luis, can recover the titles and territories from him.
In order to strengthen his dynastic power, Charles Louis married his daughter to Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV, King of France. In 1685, on the death of Carlos Luis, Luis XIV claimed the right of succession, which was rejected, thus unleashing the war. In 1689, the city and the palace were conquered by French troops, leading to their near total destruction in 1693.
1815, the Emperor of Austria, the Emperor of Russia and the King of Prussia formed the "Holy Alliance" in Heidelberg.
1848, it was decided to hold a German National Assembly in Heidelberg. In 1849, during the rebellion in the Palatinate and Baden, Heidelberg was the headquarters of a revolutionary army that was defeated by the Prussians near Waghaeusel. The city was occupied by Prussian troops until 1850.
1920-1933, the University of Heidelberg and its reputation were furthered by a series of notable physicians (Czerny) and humanists (Rohde, Weber).
1933-1945, during the Nazi regime, Heidelberg was one of the strongholds of the National Socialist German Workers Party, which was the most voted in the elections before of 1933. Between 1934 and 1935, the Nazi regime built a huge amphitheater in Heiligenberg, north of the old part of Heidelberg, to celebrate the events of the SS. The theater is called Thingstätte and is still used for concerts and occasional events.
After the war was over, General George Patton died in Heidelberg on December 21, 1945 in a traffic accident.
It has been speculated that Heidelberg was not bombed in World War II by the US Army, because the US Army wanted Heidelberg to serve as a garrison after the war. In fact, since Heidelberg was neither an industrial nor a transport center, the air raids were focused on the industrial cities of Mannheim and Ludwigshafen. In 1945, the University reopened thanks to the surgeon Karl Heinrich Bauer and the philosopher Karl Jaspers.
Education
Universities
Heidelberg is known for its higher education institutions. The most famous of these is the Heidelberg University. Founded in 1386, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious institutions in Europe. In fact, Heidelberg is the oldest university city in Germany. Prominent thinkers associated with the institution include Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Karl Jaspers, Hans-Georg Gadamer, Jürgen Habermas, Karl-Otto Apel, and Hannah Arendt. The campus is located in two urban areas with several buildings. Numerous historical buildings in the city house the faculties of humanities, social sciences and the Faculty of Law. The school of applied sciences is located in the Science Tower in Wieblingen. The Faculties of Medicine and Natural Sciences are based on the Campus Neuenheimer Feld.
The Higher School of Educational Sciences, Pädagogische Hochschule Heidelberg, has existed since 1904, and the Higher School of Jewish Studies, Hochschule für Jüdische Studien Heidelberg, dates from 1979. The latter is made up of nine branches specialized in Jewish religion and culture. Schiller International University, an American private university, is also represented by a campus in Heidelberg, which offers various undergraduate and graduate programs in the areas of International Trade, International Relations and Diplomacy.
| University | Foundation | Acronym | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | University of Heidelberg | 1386 | RKUH | Public University |
The German program for the promotion of scientific research and high-level academic activities, financed with federal and regional resources, carried out in 2007 a “contest of excellence” among the centers of higher education in the country. Six universities from all over the country were winners, among which was Heidelberg, being distinguished with the Elite University label. This recognition was confirmed in the second round of the excellence initiative and in the subsequent excellence strategy of the German government.
In 2006, one in five city dwellers was a college student.
Research centers
In addition to the university's research centers and institutes, there are numerous research institutions located in the city of Heidelberg. These include the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ (German Cancer Research Center)), the Max Planck Institute for Medical Research, the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy, the Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics, the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law.
Elementary schools and secondary schools
Heidelberg has a total of 23 primary schools. There are numerous secondary education institutions, both public and private, representing all levels of the German education system. There are 14 Gymnasiums, six of which are private. 52% of high school students attend a Gymnasium. Heidelberg ranks above the German average, perhaps due to the large number of university students living in and around Heidelberg today. Secondary schools Gymnasiums include the Kurfürst-Friedrich, the Bunsen-Gymnasium, the Helmholtz, the Hölderlin-Gymnasium and the Elisabeth-von-Thadden-Schule. There are seven Realschule, ten Hauptschule and nine vocational schools (so-called Berufsschule). There are also several Adult Education schools with different specializations.
Culture
Events
Throughout the year there are different festivals and events sponsored and organized in Heidelberg, in the month of February, including the Ball der Vampire (Dance of the Vampires) 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 town hall. In March or April the Heidelberger Frühling (Heidelberg Spring), the Classical Music Festival and the international Easter egg market take place. During the last weekend of April there is a half marathon that is organized annually. In summer there is the Frühlingsmesse on the Messeplatz (May) and the illumination of the castle and the bridge with lights and fireworks take place. In September, every last Saturday the Old Town Autumn Festival is held. It includes a medieval market, an arts and crafts market, a flea market, and Samba Rock music. During October and November there are Heidelberger Film Days and a jazz festival. Every year in November the Mannheim-Heidelberg International Film Festival takes place in the city. The festival features art films by new international directors and is held jointly by both cities. During Christmas there is a Christmas market throughout the old part of the city. A famous gift is the chocolate called Heidelberger Studentenkuß (student's kiss).
Cinemas
The Karlstorkino offers a program of art, rare classics and feature films. Here, most of the movies are shown in the original version. The Harmonie Lux once had the mainstream Hollywood program before it closed in 2014, while the small independent cinemas Gloria and Gloriette as well as Kamera also show art films, mostly in the German versions. There are plans for a larger cinema in the new Bahnstadt district, which is to show both blockbusters and arthouse films, this cinema has been under construction since 2013.
Museum and exhibitions
Among Heidelberg's most prominent museums are the Carl Bosch Museum, which showcases the life and work of Nobel Prize-winning chemist Carl Bosch. Then there is the German Sinti and Roma Documentation and Culture Center (Dokumentations und Kulturzentrum Deutscher Sini und Roma) which describes the Nazi genocide of the Sinti and Roma peoples. The German Packaging Museum (Deutsches Verpackungsmuseum) offers an overview of the history of packaging and packaging products, while the German Pharmacy Museum (Deutsches Apothekenmuseum) which is located in the castle illustrates the history of Pharmacy in Germany.. The Kurpfälzisches Museum (Palatinate Museum) offers a large collection of art and some Roman archaeological artifacts from the region. In honor of Friedrich Ebert they established the memorial of President Friedrich Ebert which recalls the life of the first democratic head of Germany. In addition, there are guided tours in most of Heidelberg's historical monuments, as well as sightseeing tours through the city available in several languages.
Heidelberg Romanticism
Heidelberg was the center of the Romantic era in Germany. There was a famous circle of poets such as Joseph von Eichendorff, Johann Joseph von Görres, Ludwig Achim von Arnim and Clemens Brentano. A relic of Romanticism is the Philosophers' Walk (German: Philosophenweg), a picturesque walking path in nearby Heiligenberg, overlooking Heidelberg.
The romantic era of German philosophy and literature has been described as a movement against classical and realist theories of literature, a contrast to the rationalism of the Age of Enlightenment]. Medievalism and elements of art and narrative perceived as from medieval times were elevated. He also emphasized popular art, nature, and a nature-based epistemology, which included human activity conditioned by nature in the form of language, usage, and customs.
Places of interest
According to a report by the Hannover Medical School published in 2007, it is the third “healthiest city” in Germany, only surpassed by Ulm and Erlangen. The analysis took into account values such as air quality, medical service, and the amount of green and sports spaces, among other factors.
As is characteristic of most German cities, public transport is well organized and it is easy to get around the city as a tourist.
The wine route passes through the town of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, near Heidelberg.
Heidelberg Palace
Heidelberg Palace is not only the city's landmark, but the most famous ruin in Germany. It consists of several buildings, including the Dicker Turm ("thick tower") that was dynamited and the garden from which there is a magnificent view over the valley and the city. Inside it houses the German Pharmacy Museum and the large barrel of Heidelberg Castle. Every year there are popular shows, such as the Schlossfestspiele (theatrical festivals in the palace) and balls such as the Ball der Vampire.
Historic Center
Heidelberg's historic center is well-preserved and consists mainly of a large pedestrian zone with several churches, such as the Heiliggeistkirche ("Church of the Holy Spirit"), and many buildings in the baroque. Here is also the center of the University of Heidelberg with its library and the Studentenkarzer ("student prison"), as well as shops and bars.
Important Churches
The Church of the Holy Spirit is the best known in Heidelberg. It is located in the center of the city, not far from the Heidelberg Palace. In the past it housed the famous Bibliotheca Palatina, but during the Thirty Years' War the collection of manuscripts and ancient prints of the Palatinate prince Maximilian I was stolen and given to the pope. Soon the restoration of this church will begin. The west entrance will once again be the main entrance.
St. Peter's Church is the oldest church in Heidelberg. It is probable that this church was built before the very foundation of Heidelberg. Its age is estimated at 900 years. In the late Middle Ages it was converted into a university chapel.
It is the burial place of about 150 professors and nobles of the Palatinate. Among others, Marsilius von Inghen, the founding rector of the University of Heidelberg, is buried there. In 1883 the Luther pine was planted in the eastern part to celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of the birth of Martin Luther.
The Jesuit Church is located closer to Bismarck Square. It was built in 1749 and is considered a sample of the counter-reformation in Heidelberg; It was a center of the Jesuit quarter.
In this city, Frederick III of the Palatinate asked the young theologians Zacarías Ursino and Gaspar Oleviano to write the Heidelberg Catechism as a pedagogical document to achieve unity of doctrine when the prince saw a disagreement while Holy Supper was taking place and In this way, achieve that the churches teach Biblical doctrines without any differentiation between one church and another in the Palatinate.
Old Bridge
Its real name is Carl-Theodor-Brücke ("Carlos Teodoro Bridge"), named after Prince Elector Carlos Teodoro, who had it built before 1786 in the same place where there had been other bridges since 1248, hence it is known as Heidelberg's "old bridge".
Regular Events
The following events are held each year:
- April: Half marathon last weekend of April
- May: Regatta in the Neckar River
- July/August: Heidelberger Schlossfestspiele, in the courtyard of the castle.
- June and September: The first Saturday of June and September and the second of July takes place Schlossbeleuchtung with fireworks from the old bridge.
- September: "Herbstfest", the beginning of autumn is celebrated with concerts and markets in the city
- October/November: Enjoy Jazz, an international jazz festival
- November/December: Christmas Market